The Adventure
by storytellergirl
Summary: A rare gem has been found, one that holds the key to immortality if used correctly. In order to prevent this gem from falling into the wrong hands the Quest team must embark on the biggest and deadliest adventure of their lives.
1. Immortal Stone

**Disclaimer: **of the following only the plot belongs solely to me.

**The Adventure**

**Chapter 1:**

**The Immortal Stone**

The dull sound of a pickaxe hitting dirt was the only sound that could be heard in the small archeological dig site. Only a handful of the archaeologists assembled for this particular dig were actually there, the rest had returned to shadier conditions beneath pitched tents in an effort to avoid a heat stroke. The air was warm and uncomfortable, a result of another drought going through the region. It made for intolerable working conditions, but most people put this concern off as something that came with the territory of being an archaeologist.

This particular site, located deep within the heart of Bangalore, had been an ongoing dig for three months now. The Sultan of the nation of Bangalore had asked for archaeologists to come and preserve what was supposed to be the area in which the old palace had been built several centuries before. The process was a slow going one as it turned out that the old palace was rather large in size and buried beneath hard, crusty dirt. It was the job of the archeologists to be as careful as possible when digging up the old palace so as not to break any priceless artifacts they may find. None of this changed the fact that it was the worst time of year to be attempting such a grand scale recovery effort of great historical importance.

As the sound of the pickaxe faded into a lulling background noise a sudden clang of metal upon metal perked the ears of the young archaeologists working in the proximity. The woman who had been using the pickaxe blinked in surprise as she peered down at the hole she had been working in. A small squeal of delight flew from her lips as she dropped the pickaxe and began digging with her bare hands. She scraped soft dirt away to slowly unveil a small metal chest, one that seemed very much out of place in a country like Bangalore.

"What is it?" questioned another archeologist, craning his neck to peer at the object as the woman pulled the small metal chest out of the ground. It was no bigger than a shoe box, and there was even a small lock on the front of it.

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't look like this was made in Bangalore. It doesn't match up with any of the other artifacts we've discovered thus far. Look at it—this chest reminds me of something a little more European…I'd say around the eighteenth or nineteenth century."

"Then how the hell did it wind up here?"

The woman shrugged. "We better get Dr. Lin here to look at it."

With a nod the male archeologist took off to find the said professional. Ten minutes later he returned with an Asian woman hot on his heels, pure interest evident in her almond colored eyes. "I hear you've found something odd," murmured Dr. Lin as she approached the treasure finder.

"Take a look. It isn't from Bangalore."

Dr. Lin's eyebrows knit together as she knelt down beside the metal chest, her fingertips grazing the casing. It was cool to the touch, possibly because of its recent burial deep in the earth away from the rays of the blazing sun above. She made a fist and rapped her knuckle against the chest, nodding at the sound that echoed back. There was something inside the chest as the sound hadn't been high enough to make it hollow.

"Hand me that pickaxe, would you?" she queried the other woman, indicating the tool that had been deposited a while ago. The pickaxe was taken from the ground and handed to Dr. Lin who gripped the handle tightly in her hands. Archaeology was her life, and as a woman who had gotten her doctoral degree in this subject she knew what she was about to do went against all the books; but at the same time she had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach that whatever had been hidden in this chest not so very long ago had meant to be hidden for all eternity.

The Asian woman brought the pickaxe down on the lock of the chest, breaking it open instantaneously. She handed the pickaxe to a nearby aide as she bent back down beside the metal contraption. With hesitant fingertips she slowly opened the lid of the chest to reveal a blood red ruby about the size of an acorn.

Dr. Lin squinted at the tiny artifact as the sun shone down on it. The feeling in her stomach was getting worse now, and even more so as she reached her hand down to pick up the ruby. Her eyes widened in surprise as the ruby burned the palm of her hand, causing her to drop it back into the metal chest. Almond eyes studied the fast growing welt on her palm before returning to the ruby.

"Somebody call for the Sultan. He needs to see this right away."

**On the Other Side of the World:**

**Rockport, Maine**

**Rockport High School**

"Jonny, we are so going to get busted for this," hissed Jessie Bannon darkly. Her green eyes narrowed at her blonde companion as he seemingly waved off her concern.

"Relax, Jess. We're Seniors now, remember? We're supposed to do this kind of thing—it's tradition," replied Jonny Quest with a grin.

"Since when have you ever followed tradition?"

Jonny glanced up in Jessie's direction, squinting as the sunlight hit him. "Uh…since today?" He shrugged before returning his attention to the tires of a very new convertible. At the moment the teen was busy taking the wheels off the convertible so as to complete the prank he had thought up during his history test after finishing it in record time. Sometimes it was nice to have a background rich with world travel and impromptu history lessons. "You shouldn't worry so much. We're not going to get caught. I have this one all planned out."

"Uh-huh, somehow that does little to comfort me. Do you know what my dad threatened to do to me if I got in trouble with the Principal again? He threatened to send me to a convent! A convent, Jonny! Do you know what they do to girls like me there?"

"Dress you up real cute?"

Jessie's face darkened some more. "Oh, you're a funny man, Jonathan Quest. Real funny."

Jonny rolled his eyes, glad that his back was turned so the red headed girl wouldn't see his reaction to her. Of late he and Jessie had gotten into quite a bit of trouble with their high school principal, earning the ire of Jessie's father Roger 'Race' Bannon. He had no doubts that Race would send Jessie to a convent if she put another toe out of line, but Jonny also knew that she couldn't resist having some fun. In all honesty Jonny suspected that Jessie was just upset he had thought up a new prank first.

Clearing his throat, Jonny said, "Look, I promise to keep you out of the convent, okay? I've got your back, Jessie, you have nothing to worry about." Another grin lit up his face as he pulled the last tire off the convertible. Mr. Harmon was going to flip when he found his car later that afternoon with no tires—and he was going to scream when he finally realized where his tires had been placed. After reaching the ripe age of forty the principal of Rockport High School, Mr. Wayne Harmon, had found love after his fourth failed marriage—in a car; and it was that car Jonny was going to mess around with to put Mr. Harmon back into therapy. This had nothing to do with the vendetta the man seemed to have against Jonny for being so bright for his age and showing the older man up every chance he got. Jonny had yet to realize that pointing out how uncultured Mr. Harmon was to his colleagues was not the right way to go about making friends with him.

"You better keep me out of that convent. I can't handle another phone call to my mom asking her to yell at dad for being unreasonable. I swear to Dios he lost his mind the day I turned sixteen," muttered Jessie with a shake of her head. Jonny nodded along in agreement, shoving two of the tires in her direction to roll behind him as he rolled the other two over to the flag pole.

"Just think, by the time you find yourself a real boyfriend he'll be completely insane and won't be able to show off his gun collection anymore."

Jessie scowled at the thought, thinking back on the last date she had gone on. It had been her first with that particular guy, and her last. Race had taken the poor teen on a twenty minute tour of his study which housed his infamous gun collection. The red head forced those thoughts out of her mind as she halted the two tires in her possession in front of the flag pole. Her mind was already formulating what exactly Jonny was up to, and even though she knew it would end with them in trouble, because with Jonny that was how it always ended, she was actually quite proud of him for coming up with this particular plan on his own.

"I do hope you've got a hover board lying around here somewhere, because there's no way in hell I'm tossing tires up at you once you get to the top of that pole."

"Ah Jess, you've got to have a little more faith in me than that. Of course I have a hover board on campus." Jonny shot Jessie a wink as he walked over to a large bush and leaned into the scraggly branches. When he was standing upright again, with leaves and twigs attached to the front of his shirt a rather worn looking hover board was in his arms. Jessie shook her head but knew better than to say anything. She wasn't the least bit surprised by this since Jonny liked to show off the gadgets that no one else seemed to own but him.

Jonny turned the hover board on, placing it in the air about a foot off the ground before stepping on board. He motioned for Jessie to hand him two of the tires so that he could bring them to the top of the flagpole. Jessie watched Jonny carefully as he maneuvered the tires up and over the pole, her eyes not following the tires as the slid to the ground noisily. She was more concerned about Jonny's safety so far off the ground. It was a habit of hers since she considered herself the only person in the world capable of protecting Jonny from himself, as well as the only person who could get him out of trouble.

She picked up the last two tires on the ground and handed them to Jonny as he returned to pick them up and bring them to the top of the flagpole where he promptly tossed them down the pole. This time around Jessie allowed her eyes to go along with the tires as they slid down, just as the front door of the high school opened up with a bang.

"Aha!" shouted Mr. Harmon startling both teens. Jessie's eyes widened as Jonny lost his balance in his surprise and had to grab hold of the pole as the hover board crashed to the ground. With a groan the blonde teen slid down the pole as Mr. Harmon made his way over to him and Jessie. The principal looked both angry and triumphant as he pointed an accusing finger at Jonny.

"I knew you weren't in the library, Mr. Quest! You don't even know where the library is—you're always going on about the extensive database you have access to at your home! Every time I check in on you you're up to no good. Why do you think that is, Mr. Quest?"

"Bad timing?" queried Jonny as he scratched the back of his head.

Jessie snickered, earning a glare from Mr. Harmon. "And you, Ms. Bannon! Why is it that every time Jonny gets in trouble you're right there beside him pretending to act innocent?"

"Now wait just a second there, Mr. Harmon," replied Jessie with a small frown. "I usually _am _innocent. It's Jonny who concocts all these half-baked ideas! If it were me you know your convertible would be long gone by now."

"Uh-huh. Come along you two, it's time I had a little chat with your fathers about your antics here in my school." Mr. Harmon motioned for Jonny and Jessie to follow him as he turned on his heels, dutifully ignoring the fact that his tires were lying around the base of the flagpole rather than on his car. There would be time to remedy that problem before the end of the day. His first order of business was to deal with the two teens that had quickly become the bane of his existence since he had first laid eyes on them four years ago. Naturally his order for the teens to follow him was heeded, though in a more vocal manner than Mr. Harmon would have liked.

"C'mon now, Mr. Harmon, can't you give us a break this time around? I swear I can get your tires back on your car before anyone sees where they are right now—just don't call my dad. He's busy this time of year working on publications for some journals. He won't appreciate being interrupted," pleaded Jonny with genuine fear written across his face. The last time Benton Quest had been interrupted in the midst of editing an article of his he had been less than pleased with Jonny, if the four month grounding had been any indication.

Jessie nodded along eagerly, piping in her own plea. "Have a heart, Mr. Harmon. My dad's threatening to send me to a convent this time—I can't go to a convent! I don't do well being locked up. Trust me, I was born to be outdoors, not indoors. A convent would kill me!"

"Then the two of you should have thought of that before you embarked on your latest escapade," returned Mr. Harmon coolly. He was relishing the sudden power he had over Jonny and Jessie. It was a rare occurrence to see them trying to squirm out of yet another grounding and detention.

Noticing that their words were falling on deaf ears Jonny and Jessie slowed their stride as they approached the front doors. Jonny tried to give Jessie an encouraging smile as if to say things were fine, but it was quite apparent the red head wasn't buying it.

**Back on the Other Side of the Globe:**

**Bangalore**

**Old Palace Archaeological Dig Site**

The Sultan of Bangalore strode across the dusty earth with hurried steps. He had been reading through some land reform proposals when he had gotten word that an odd discovery had been made at the Old Palace archaeological dig site. The rumors reaching his ears, and that of every other dignified member of his cabinet, mentioned a rather modern like chest with an untouchable gem hidden inside it.

Hadji Singh rubbed his forehead wearily, his eyes glancing upwards in the direction of the sun. it was times like these that he wasn't sure whether to consider his position as Sultan a gift or a curse. When he had agreed to return to Bangalore and accept his birthright Hadji had hoped he would be able to do some good for his people, but the last few years had taught him that running a country was not as easy as it should be. Bangalore was poor and in desperate need of a lift to their economy. Concerned that poverty would reach an all new high Hadji had agreed to open his country to archaeologists in order to find rare artifacts that could perhaps help bring in some more revenue and publicity.

However, this metal chest and gem did not feel like the answer to his prayers. Yes, the gem may bring in more tourism, but if no answers could be found for a modern chest in an ancient dig site then Hadji was afraid he would be facing more problems than solutions.

"Dr. Lin is this way, Rajah."

Nodding, Hadji followed the young aide over to where Dr. Lin had taken refuge from the heat. She was currently seated beneath a canvass tarp, the metal chest placed atop a worktable with a magnifying glass positioned over it. she stood the moment Hadji came into view.

"Rajah, I'm so glad you came," she murmured extending her hand to greet Hadji. The younger man nodded, taking Dr. Lin's hand at the same time as glancing through the magnifying glass to see the gem all the hubbub was being made about.

"Is this it?" he questioned curiously. "It's a fine ruby. Is it real?"

"As far as I can tell it's real, but I haven't been able to really scrutinize it. There's something odd about this ruby, Hadji. It burned me when I tried to pick it up. I've only ever heard one story about a gem that could burn people."

Looking at the ruby now Hadji could feel sweat beading up on his brow, and he knew the heat had nothing to do with it. "The Immortal Stone," he murmured almost reverently. "You think this is it?"

"Legends tell of a rare stone that could only be handled by a virgin of pure heart. It is believed that should it be held by this person, and should it touch a drop of their blood the red color of the ruby will fade away into the veins of the virgin as the blood of the virgin flows into the stone, making that person immortal. A person may fuse their blood with that of the person channeling immortality, but it would result in the immediate death of the virgin. The ultimate sacrifice; but—"

"Should anyone other than a virgin of pure heart touch the stone they will be rejected—a marking left on the palm of their hands to show they are unworthy of immortality," finished Hadji just as softly. He straightened up, his eyes going over to Dr. Lin. "If this is indeed the gem you think it is then I believe trouble has come knocking on my door, Grace."

Grace Lin nodded in understanding. "That's why I called you here directly, Hadji. I'm not certain this is the Immortal Stone, but if it is we've just uncovered the rarest treasure of them all. If it isn't…well…I don't know what to say."

"You are certain that this could be the legendary gem?" Hadji prodded gently, his eyes reflecting the concern he held within him. He had heard too many stories of the Immortal Stone, though through different variations depending on the culture. In his gut he already knew the answer. He had known it the moment he had heard of it in his study.

For a reply Grace extended her arm towards Hadji, palm facing up. There the Sultan could see the red markings of a burn fading away. It was all the answer he needed. Clearing his throat he asked, "I believe we will need an expert on Phenomenology to take a look at this for us."

"There's only one man that comes to mind," agreed Grace.

"I know."

"Should you call, or I?"

**REVISED: July 5, 2007**


	2. Planning Stages

**Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff.**

**Chapter 2-Planning Stages**

Dr. Benton Quest had a small grin on his face when he hung up the phone. It seemed a trip to Bangalore was in order. He ran a hand through his grey streaked brown hair, and then rubbed his matching beard thoughtfully.

The Immortal Stone. It was like something out of the story books. He hadn't thought the mythical gem had actually existed. But it did, and apparently it had some kind of powers prohibiting anyone from touching it without getting burned.

"What's the news, Benton? We going on a trip?" Race Bannon leaned against the doorframe of Benton's office, his white hair a rumpled mess, and his blue eyes serious.

"Hadji needs a little help in Bangalore. The archaeology team there found an ancient artifact—the Immortal Stone. Dr. Grace Lin wants me to take a look at it to see if it is the real thing."

"An immortal thingamajig, huh? Sounds great. I just got off the phone with Mr. Harmon—the high school principal. Apparently Jonny and Jessie were caught putting the man's car tires on the flag pole. He wants a meeting with one of us. I think the man's losing it after all these years. He should know by now that Jonny and Jessie aren't ones to follow the rules."

"I thought you threatened to send Jessie to a convent if she pulled another stunt again," remarked Benton with a raised eyebrow.

Race shrugged. "Twenty bucks says it was all Jonny's idea. Jessie would've stolen Harmon's car if she had planned the prank. She's still pissed I took away her license again. But right now I'm thinking of sending Jonny to the North Pole. Damn kid is driving me nuts. I thought he was supposed to grow up since it's his senior year."

"It's Jonny…he decided to live a little before graduation. Should I go talk to Mr. Harmon, or were you planning on talking to him? Civilly, I hope."

"I swear I'll be the soul of discretion. You pack what you need and I'll go round up those hooligans we call kids."

Benton chuckled to himself as Race vanished from the doorway. Sometimes being a parent was amusing, to say the least.

**Rockport High School**

Jessie cringed in her seat as Race entered the high school office. She nudged Jonny with her elbow, forcing him to glance up from his cell phone. Jonny quickly shoved his cell into his pocket and gave Race a small grin. Race simply glowered at the two teens.

"Think we're grounded again?" asked Jonny as Race walked into the principal's office.

"Either that or we're gonna be cleaning all the vehicles again," replied Jessie with a small sigh. "You should've let me planned the prank, hotshot. It would've been ten times easier to just take Harmon's car and let it magically reappear at the harbor. There wouldn't have been any proof that we were the ones behind it."

"Jess, you don't even have your license right now. Race took it away from you for speeding again."

"Details, details. When did you ever concern yourself with details, Jonny?" replied Jessie with a frown.

Jonny shrugged. "Since you tried to kill me by running that red light?" he suggested.

"It was an emergency!"

"Getting home before our dads found out we had snuck out was not—alright, that was an emergency. But that's not the point. The point is…we're screwed. Man, we need a vacation already. Then dad and Race wouldn't be on our backs all the time." Jonny sighed and slumped down in his seat. Jessie squeezed his hand comfortingly and sat back in her seat as well.

It was almost an hour later when Race emerged from the principal's office. Jonny and Jessie straightened up in their seats as Race stood before them with his arms crossed.

"Hey, daddy," started Jessie timidly.

"You're both grounded. One prank I could have handled—but not a week's worth of pranks. Sticking a 'Kick Me' sign on the back of Mr. Harmon's back? Switching his coffee creamer with ink? Covering his car in saran wrap? Toilet papering his house? Oh, and my personal favorite, putting a personal ad in the paper for him. You two are grounded for the rest of the month, and if I even hear that you're planning another prank on the poor man I promise to make sure you guys spend your summer helping Mr. Harmon out here. Got it?"

"Got it," mumbled Jonny and Jessie quietly. The two teens were sluggish as they got to their feet and followed Race out of the office.

"Oh, and you've been suspended for a couple of weeks too," said Race as an afterthought. "And before you start pouting about unfair treatment, at least look on the bright side."

"What bright side?" moaned Jessie. "No college is gonna accept me now."

"No school," remarked Jonny cheerfully. "That's the bright side, Jess. We don't have to go to school for a while."

Race shook his head. "Actually I was thinking more along the lines of taking an unscheduled trip to Bangalore. Benton got a call from Hadji. Some archaeologists found something called the Immortal Stone. Benton's expertise on the matter is being called for."

Jessie made a face as they reached Race's black SUV. "I didn't think the Immortal Stone existed. I thought it was just a myth."

"You actually know what he's talking about?" demanded Jonny hopping into the backseat. "Man, Jess, you really need to stop paying attention in school."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Jonny. Actually, my mom taught me about it. It's every archaeologist's dream to find the Immortal Stone. She's made it her life's work to learn everything about it," replied Jessie matter-of-factly.

Race groaned. "Please tell me your mother isn't gonna find out about this thing and fly over to Bangalore. She's gonna kill me when she finds out you've been suspended again."

"It depends. Who found the stone?"

"A Dr. Grace Lin."

"Then yeah, she'll be there. She worked with Dr. Lin on a dig in Peru once."

Jonny chuckled. "I don't care why we're goin' to Bangalore or who for—we get a vacation!"

"Yeah," grumbled Race darkly, "but all you two are gonna be doing the entire time is dig. Lots and lots of digging."

Jonny leaned forward to glance at Jessie in the passenger seat. "Is it just me or is your dad running out of punishments for us?"

"It's definitely not just you," agreed Jessie regarding her dad with a quizzical look. The trip to Bangalore didn't sound so appealing anymore.

**Somewhere in Columbia**

**South America**

Estella Velasquez ran a hand through her chin length red hair before replacing her hat back on top of her head. The warm weather was starting to get to her. She had been at the latest dig site since the crack of dawn; she was ready for a nap.

"Oh dios mio," she muttered to herself as her cell phone began to ring. Estella dug through the contents her bag sitting atop the table. She pulled out her phone in triumph and took a grateful seat in a folding chair situated under the shady tarp.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly.

"Estella?" the voice of Grace Lin crackled on the other line.

Estella smiled. "Grace, it's so good to hear from you! How have you been?"

"Busy. And you?"

"Same. I've been thinking of taking some time off and tracking down my daughter. I've missed her lately."

Grace chuckled. "Well then, have I got a proposition for you. Come to Bangalore. The Quests are coming up as well, so I assume your daughter will be with them."

"What's going on in Bangalore?" asked Estella curiously.

"I think we've found the Immortal Stone."

"You think? What do you mean you think?"

"It's hard to say. Hadji believes it's the Immortal Stone…and no one's been able to touch it without getting burned. Estella, those stories are true. No one here is a virgin—I think that's why no one can hold the damn thing. But, I'm not one hundred per cent certain that it's the real deal. There are so many different names for this thing, but the stories are all the same. Only a virgin of pure heart can touch it—Estella, this is the gem we've been searching for all our lives. I don't think it's a myth anymore. You have to come check it out. You know the stories better than anyone. You're an expert on this thing."

Estella was silent as she contemplated the offer. "Okay, I'll get the first flight out of here today. I'll call you as soon as I get to Bangalore."

"It's a deal!" The two women hung up at the same time. Estella sat back in her seat with a small oh of surprise still on her lips. The Immortal Stone…every culture mentioned it in their history. A gem made by the gods to secure immortality for the virgin of pure heart. She had found the entire myth intriguing. How could every culture across the globe talk about the same gem? Whatever the reason, Estella was determined to find out.

**Bangalore**

Jonny was the first one off the plane as soon as it landed in Bangalore. Right behind him was Jessie. Both friends were excited to see Hadji again. It had been a while since he had moved to Bangalore permanently to take his place as Sultan.

"Hadji!" Jonny waved a hand in the air, trying to catch the attention of the tall, dark skinned teen in question. Jessie rolled her eyes and pushed past Jonny to run and throw her arms around Hadji.

"We've missed you. Life isn't the same without your voice of reason, Hadji. Jonny's been getting us in more trouble since you left," remarked Jessie as she pulled away.

Jonny made a face. "I have not." Then he turned his attention back to Hadji. "It's good to see you."

"And it is good to see you too, my friends. I have missed you all very much." Hadji included Race and Benton in his words as the two older men joined the three teens.

"I'm glad you invited us down, Hadji," said Benton shaking hands with the Sultan.

"No kidding," agreed Race. "I'm getting tired of baby sitting these two. From now on you can watch them, Hadji. They're all yours. I don't want them back until you're ready to send us home."

"Those are truly some of the most frightening words you have ever said to me," replied Hadji with a straight face.

"If I didn't know better I'd say Hadji was making a joke," murmured Jessie creasing her eyebrows.

Jonny snorted. "Hadji doesn't joke, do you, Hadji?"

"Can a tiger change his stripes?"

"See? What did I tell you?" asked Jonny looking at Jessie. "He's doing his mumbo jumbo stuff again."

"You have quite a way with words, hotshot. You make me speechless," quipped Jessie sarcastically.

"Benton!" A woman's voice startled the quarreling teens as an Asian woman stepped forward.

Benton's face instantly lit up with a mixture of pleasure and surprise. "Grace! It's so good to see you. How many years has it been?" greeted Benton clasping hands with Grace.

"Oh gosh, it has to have been twenty years now. Last time I saw you, you were engaged. You've aged well."

"As have you." The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, barely noticing that they hadn't let go of the other's hands.

"Ahem." Race cleared his throat, spurting Benton into action.

"Oh, Grace, excuse me. This is Race Bannon, and his daughter Jessie. And this is my son Jonny." Benton placed a hand on the back of Grace's back and ushered her into the circle of friends. "This is Dr. Grace Lin, she and I were colleagues way back when."

"How do you do?" murmured Grace shyly.

"It's nice to meet you," said Jessie politely. Jonny nodded along as Race hummed in his agreements.

"Should we go look at this thingamajig or settle in at the hotel first?" asked Race.

"Actually," started Grace, "there's one more person we're waiting for. Her flight should have come in directly after yours."

"Oh no," muttered Race, his face paling slightly. Jessie glanced around the airport and grinned at who she found.

"Mom!" Jessie dashed off to throw herself in Estella's arms as Race slowly turned around.

"Estella is an expert on the Immortal Stone. She knows every name it has gone by according to different cultures. She was more than happy to agree to help us out when I mentioned Jessie would be here," said Grace giving Race an apologetic look.

Race shrugged helplessly. "If you hadn't called her then Jessie would have. They don't see each other enough anymore."

"Maybe you oughtta reconsider grounding us," whispered Jonny loudly.

Estella glanced up sharply. "Grounding? What grounding?"

"Just wait until you hear what your daughter's been up to," announced Race issuing a Jonny with a glare. "Jonny's a bad influence on her."

"Oh, so now it's my fault? Let's remember who was driving through the red light!" protested Jonny.

"Red light?" Estella glanced down at her daughter who was muttering under her breath in Spanish. "I think the two of you have a lot of explaining to do."

"It is a long drive to the hotel…perhaps we can listen on the way? I myself am most intrigued to hear what Jonny and Jessie have been up to lately," said Hadji.

"One word, Jonny," hissed Jessie. "Run!"

Jonny took off like a shot with Jessie hot on his heels. Benton shook his head in amusement before offering Grace an arm. The two turned to follow behind Hadji towards the baggage claim as Estella glared at Race.

"I know, I know. It's all my fault," sighed Race putting his hands up in the air. "It's always my fault."

As the group disappeared a lone female figure stepped out from behind a pillar. Her glossy black hair fell down to her shoulders, matching the color of her eyes. She tapped a manicured finger against her chin thoughtfully before making her way over to a nearby phone booth. She pulled out calling card and set about making a phone call.

"Anaya? It's me. You won't believe what I've heard. It seems the legendary Immortal Stone exists. The Quests have arrived in Bangalore to investigate. Don't worry, I'll keep a sharp eye out and let you know what else I find. Inform father of the latest turn of events." Melana Zin hung up the phone with a calculating gleam in her eyes. Then she turned to disappear in the crowded airport.

**Moscow, Russia**

**A Swanky Hotel**

Anaya Zin pulled open the door of the hotel suite, allowing a small group to enter. A woman with blonde hair and dark eyes pushed a quadriplegic man into the suite. Behind her was a beady eyed, dark haired man. The quadriplegic had a scraggly mane of black hair, and dark brown eyes. He had a broad forehead, and long thin fingers that he tapped impatiently against the arm of his wheelchair. This was the dangerous terrorist known as Jeremiah Surd. The woman and man were Julia and Lorenzo, Surd's underlings.

Following behind Surd was another man. He too had dark hair, but it was cropped short and hidden beneath a small rimmed hat. His eyes gleamed out from behind a white mask that hid all but the mouth and chin on his face. He wore a long trench coat, and under his arm carried a thick book. He was Ezekial Rage, a sinister and somewhat insane man.

Anaya motioned for the group to take seats in the plush chairs. Then with a bounce of her dark ponytail she went to knock on the door adjourning the sitting room. There was a brief silence and then a stately, if short, bald man opened the door and entered the room. He had a clean shaven face to match his head, and dark, almond shaped eyes.

Dr. Zin cleared his throat before speaking. "It is time that we joined our forces to take out the one thorn we share. The Quest team. I received word that the Quests are in Bangalore, investigating an object that I am sure will be of great use to us, one way or another. It is known as the Immortal Stone. My daughter, Anaya, can explain how this gem will enable us to destroy the very people we hate."

Anaya stepped forward to speak. "The Immortal Stone can bring you immortality. Legend has it that a virgin of pure will act as a vessel for the stone and the one seeking immortality. If you were to mix your blood with that of the vessel you will become immortal while the vessel dies.

"There are other ways to utilize the stone, however. If the vessel were to be drained of all its blood you could spread the immortality around."

"How so?" demanded Surd in a cold voice.

"Immortal blood could help you walk again, Mr. Surd. Immortal blood could bring back your daughter to life, Mr. Rage. Immortal blood could turn everyone in this room into gods," answered Anaya simply.

Rage thought for a moment. "How will this destroy the Quests?"

"The daughter of Race Bannon is a vital youth. She is still a virgin. I believe that she could become the immortal vessel. For a brief few minutes she will be immortal, but as soon as she spills a single drop of blood she will die. The Quest team will do anything in their powers to save her…if they can find her in time. The Quest boy will recklessly risk his life for hers; and in the process he will die as well.

"For you see, the legend also says that whosoever were to touch the vessel after its death would find their very lives taken from them. The Bannon girl reminds you of your daughter, does she not, Mr. Rage?"

"I thought you said I could bring my daughter back to life," growled Rage.

Anaya didn't even blink an eye. "Your daughter has been dead to many years for that, but you can bring a part of her back. If the Quest boy were to touch the Bannon girl after she had been drained of her life he will unknowingly bring her back to life. But her mind will be blank. You could easily convince that she is your daughter, Mr. Rage. She would never know the difference."

"What about the rest of the Quest team? Benton…and Race…what of them?" demanded Surd suspiciously.

"Once you are back on your feet, Mr. Surd, you will be invincible. Race Bannon will not stand a chance against you. Neither would Benton Quest. You will become gods. The world will be yours."

Dr. Zin cleared his throat once more. "What do you say, gentlemen? Shall we form a temporary alliance?"

Surd listened to the eager whispers of his underlings as Rage stroked his book gently. Both men looked up at the same time and nodded in agreement.

"Good," said Dr. Zin with a sinister smile. "Then first things first, we need that Immortal Stone."

"And I know just the person to get it for us," replied Surd calmly.

**A/N: I hope this chapter turned out alright, I kind of have an idea where I'm going with this story.**


	3. Trouble in Paradise

**Disclaimer: None of this stuff belongs to me. **

**Chapter 3-Trouble in Paradise**

"Now, remember, if I give you these keys it does _not _mean that you're getting your license back when we get home. It only means that I'm letting you drive to the dig site. Got that, the _dig site_. If I find out you guys didn't make it there you're worse than dead." Race's threat hung in the air as Jonny and Jessie exchanged dubious glances.

Jonny spoke up first. "Why can't I drive?"

Jessie snorted. "You almost killed off an endangered species last time you drove, hotshot. Dad's still got animal protectionists breathing down his back for that one."

"You're the one who ran the red light."

Race sighed. "Do you two want to walk to the site—because I'm only offering you the jeep once…courtesy of Dr. Lin."

"We'll take the jeep," said Jessie snatching the set of keys out of Race's hands.

"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this," murmured Benton, knitting his eyebrows together in a frown.

"Don't worry, dad, we'll be on our best behavior today. You won't get a single complaint from the archaeologists—scout's honor." Jonny flashed his father a grin before grabbing Jessie by the crook of the elbow and pushing her in the direction of the open top jeep parked nearby.

"Call us as soon as you get there, Ponchita!" called out Race. Jessie shot Race a thumb's up sign.

Jonny let out a breath of relief the second he and Jessie reached the jeep. He glanced back at his father and Race in front of the hotel where they were joined by Estella and Grace. Jonny's lips tightened as he watched his father give Grace his undivided attention.

"D'ya think if you stare hard enough she'll burst into flames?" asked Jessie flatly. She had noticed Jonny's subtle distrust of the Asian archaeologist.

"Shut up. Lets just get outta here, alright?" growled Jonny. Jessie raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparking angrily, but she kept her mouth shut as she jumped into the driver seat. Jonny jumped into the jeep as well and the two teens buckled up.

"You know, Jonny, it's not the end of the world." Jessie's words were quiet as she started up the jeep and pulled out onto the crowded street.

Jonny ignored her and they drove in silence for several minutes. Traffic was heavy with people on feet, bicycles, and the odd beat up taxi cab here and there. Finally, Jonny burst out, "I don't get it, Jess. Who the hell is this Grace Lin? How come we've never met her before?"

"She's an archaeologist, Jonny. She's probably been on a load of digs the last few years—kinda like my mom. Archaeologists tend to shy away from public events unless their unveiling some kind of historic site or artifact," replied Jessie with a shrug. She slammed on the brakes and gritted her teeth as she barely avoided hitting a pedestrian.

Jonny didn't even flinch at the jerky movements. "Then what's the deal with her and dad? He's never been so…_weird_ around someone before."

With a sideways glance at Jonny Jessie turned her attention back to the road in front of her as she formed her answer. "Jonny, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but…maybe your dad has some kind of history with Dr. Lin. Weren't you paying attention when she said she hadn't seen Dr. Quest since he and your mom were engaged?"

"You don't think they have _history, _history together, do you?" demanded Jonny.

"How am I supposed to know? He's your dad, not mine."

"Good point."

"What d'ya mean 'good point'?" Jessie flashed a dark look at Jonny as she turned the jeep onto a dirt road that led to the dig site.

Jonny rolled his eyes. "Only that your dad knows the entire female population—he's dated half the women in the world. My dad isn't like that."

"I'd kick your ass if I wasn't driving," muttered Jessie. Jonny chuckled to himself and glanced in the side mirror. His chuckle died off as he noticed another open top jeep a ways behind them—and it was gaining speed.

"Uh, Ace, you might wanna pull to the side and let these guys pass us. They look like they're in some kind of hurry," said Jonny jerking a thumb towards the approaching vehicle.

Jessie glanced in the rearview mirror. "Malditos," she muttered darkly. "Why can't people learn how to drive? Don't _even _say anything, Jonny."

"I wasn't planning on it," murmured Jonny placidly. He held his hands up to indicate his agreeableness. Jessie snorted but was too busy concentrating on her driving to see Jonny smirk. She slowed the jeep down to a crawl and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the other jeep pass.

"What the hell?" snapped Jessie as the other jeep slowed down directly behind Jessie and Jonny. Jonny glanced back behind them to peer at the driver of the other jeep. His eyes widened as the male passenger stood up in his seat with a rifle pointed directly at Jonny and Jessie.

"Fuck!" Jonny ducked in his seat, pulling Jessie down with him. Their jeep swerved as a single shot was fired.

"God-dammit!" Jessie sat up in her seat, swerving back onto the dirt road as her foot stomped on the gas pedal. Jonny sat up as well, his heart racing in his chest. There was a hole in the direct center of the windshield from where the bullet had gone through.

Their jeep gained speed as Jessie kept her foot on the gas, not daring to let up. Jonny snuck a look over his shoulder and swore under his breath. The other jeep was hot on their tracks, and from the looks of it the passenger was still aiming his rifle at their jeep.

"Oh boy," breathed Jonny turning to look at the road in front of them. "I think we just made some new friends, Jess."

"No, really? What's the occasion?" shot back Jessie, keeping her panic under control. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she pressed the gas pedal even harder, gaining a little more speed. She peeked in the rearview mirror and made a face. With a hardened face Jessie placed her hand on the clutch of the jeep and shifted gears. Their jeep jumped forward, gaining speed as it went.

"Whatever it is, you better hope they don't catch up. That asshole meant business back there. Shit! Why didn't I bring the cell phone with us? Race is the only one who can deal with this." Jonny banged his hand down on the dashboard, earning a glance from Jessie.

"You want my dad? Well, you're only gonna get the next best thing—me." Jessie shifted gears once more. Then, with both hands on the wheel she turned the wheel all the way to the left, not once letting her foot of the gas. Jonny clutched both the side of the jeep and the dashboard as the jeep swerved around, nearly tipping over in the process.

"Jesus Christ, Jessie! What are you trying to do—get us killed?" shouted Jonny as Jessie shifted gears yet again, returning to full speed.

"Something like that," remarked Jessie with a cryptic look on her face. "If these boys wanna play, then we're gonna play my way." Jessie drove off the road, tearing dust across the barren desert. Jonny turned to look at their pursuers and shook his head as the other jeep swerved off the road, trying to speed up in the process.

"With all this room they're gonna try and side up with us," pointed out Jonny.

Jessie grinned. "Exactly. And boy are they gonna be surprised when you take out our tools."

Jonny made a face, and then his face brightened up as realization dawned on him. "We better thank your mom for putting in the pickaxe later."

"Let's get rid of the rats first, and then we can think about celebrating later."

"You're the boss." Jonny unbuckled and crawled into the back seat. He grabbed the pickaxe off the floor and wedged himself directly in the tight space directly in between the back seat and the driver's seat.

"Okay, hotshot, I'm only gonna be able to give you one good shot. Hit 'em hard enough that they lose control," ordered Jessie as she unbuckled herself as well.

"Have you forgotten the guns already?"

"No, but I'm a little busy concentrating on what's ahead of us."

Jonny glanced forward and groaned. They were coming across a deep ravine. "You've gotta be kidding me. Alright, Ace, let's get this right the first time or else you and me got ourselves a date with a higher being tonight."

"One miracle coming right up," murmured Jessie with a small flutter in her stomach. The jeep lurched as it switched gears once more, slowing down slightly. Jonny clutched the pickaxe in his hands tightly, keeping it hidden from sight. Jonny prayed the rifleman wouldn't try taking a wild shot as the other jeep sped up to come beside their own jeep.

"Say your prayers, boy, we've only come for the treasure," called out the man holding the rifle.

"Amen brother!" cried out Jonny. Quick as a flash Jonny brought up the pickaxe into the air and swung down onto the hood of the other jeep. The rifleman stumbled in surprise as hot air steamed out from the engine. Jonny fell backwards onto the backseat as Jessie slammed on the brakes. Belatedly the other driver slammed on his brakes as well.

Both jeeps skidded across the sandy dirt, swerving slightly as the vehicles tried to process the sudden loss of speed. Only at the last minute did the other driver notice the ravine directly ahead of them. He frantically began pumping his brakes, glancing back and forth between the ravine and Jessie's jeep beside them.

"This is it!" Jessie turned her wheel, forcing their jeep to slam into the other jeep, causing it to shift to a sideways skid. Jessie slammed on the gas, sending both jeeps on a way trip off the ravine. Just as the first jeep slid off the edge of the cliff Jessie was out of her seat and scrambling towards the rear. Jonny grabbed Jessie's hand and together the two teens jumped out of their jeep as it fell into the ravine.

Jonny and Jessie hit the ground hard, rolling with motion over the few jagged rocks on the ground. Jonny clutched Jessie's hand in his and reached for her other one just as her legs slipped off the ravine. With a stream of energy Jonny pulled Jessie on top of him on solid ground. Jessie rolled off Jonny and onto her back. The two teens were panting with exertion as they listened to the crunch of metal upon metal deep within the ravine.

"Think they're still alive?" asked Jonny as he wearily pushed himself into a sitting position. Jessie sat up as well and shrugged, still trying to catch her breath. They peered over the edge of the ravine, but nothing caught their eyes.

"Even if they're dead, I don't think we should stick around here," grumbled Jessie. Jonny nodded in agreement and slowly got to his feet. He reached down and pulled Jessie onto her feet, both grimacing in pain.

Jonny glanced back at the miles of desert they had covered in their chase. "Oh man, we've got a long way to go."

"Yeah and I have this sinking feeling that I will never see my license again," agreed Jessie.

Chuckling, Jonny jerked his head, motioning for Jessie to follow. Despite their tired, aching bones the teens began walking back in the direction from whence they had come.

**Hotel Lobby**

**Bangalore**

Race snapped his phone shut and turned to the worried faces of Benton, Estella, Grace, and Hadji. "They haven't gotten to the site yet. I'm gonna go check and see if I can hunt them down. Damn teenagers. I bet they just decided to take a joyride before getting to work."

"Are you sure?" questioned Estella crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Estella, this is our daughter I'm talking about. Jessie knows how to take care of herself. And she has Jonny with her. They can't have gotten into much trouble already. That would be a whole new record for them," answered Race assuredly.

"I hope not." Estella sighed but dropped the argument.

"Let us know when you find them, Race," said Benton with a tight smile. Race nodded and took off out the swinging hotel doors. The white haired man dug in his pants pockets, searching for the keys of the rental car Benton had gotten. He pulled out the keys and glanced across the street to where the blue car was parked.

A skinny man with a long, dark beard and turban was fiddling with the door handle. Race frowned and took a step into the street. "Hey!" he called out, glancing at the traffic that wasn't letting him by. "Get away from that car, you son-of-a-bitch!"

The would-be carjacker glanced up with apprehension on his face as the driver's door opened. With a suppressed squeak he hopped into the car, shutting the door behind him. Race growled in anger. He could tell the man was sticking a pocket knife into the ignition. Muttering under his breath Race took another step into the street, fully intending on leaping over moving vehicles if he had to when the rental car exploded into flames.

Race was knocked backwards onto the sidewalk with a whoosh of hot air from the explosion. He rolled onto his side, barely avoiding a piece of flaming metal as it fell onto the cement. Race scrambled to his feet and stared in horror at what had once been his rental car. He could still make out the figure of the carjacker, burning in the driver seat. A few other cars were burning as well. People were scrambling to get out of the fiery deathtraps, but Race could tell it was useless. They weren't going to get out alive.

All around him chaos erupted. People screamed and began to flee as drivers swerved into one another to avoid the burning cars. Pedestrians were mowed down, and one restaurant had the honor of welcoming a car straight through its front windows.

"Oh my god!" screamed Estella bursting out of the hotel. She rushed over to Race and began to check his body for injuries as Race continued to stare at the burning rental car. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Race!" Benton and Grace rushed out of the hotel as well. Benton stopped short upon seeing his rental car in flames. "Oh no."

"What happened?" asked Grace staring at the scene with wide eyes.

"Whatever it is," started Race pulling out a cell phone from his pocket, "I can't take care of it alone. Corbin owes me a few favors—and the first one on that list is finding Jessie and Jonny!"

Estella's hands flew to her lips as she comprehended her ex-husband's words. Race clutched her close to his chest as he spoke into his phone. "Corbin? It's Race. I've got a problem in Bangalore—I'm gonna need backup. Yeah, and I need someone to hunt down Jonny and Jessie. I think whoever gave me the welcoming present is gonna include them too."

**Immortal Stone Archaeological Site**

"Look who I found, Bannon!"

Race glanced up from the man in front of him and grinned at the agent pulling up in a jeep. Sitting in the back seat were Jonny and Jessie, looking a little roughed up. "Where'd you find them?" asked Race as he left the confines of the shady tarp.

The agent chuckled. "Walking alongside the road to the site. Almost didn't recognize them."

"What happened to you two?" Race directed the question to Jonny as the blonde teen helped Jessie out of the jeep and followed suit.

"Lets just say it's a good thing Jessie's a crazy driver," replied Jonny as he limped over to the shady tarp. He collapsed in a folding chair and watched as Jessie did the same thing beside him. "A couple of guys tried to shoot at us, and we led them on a little ride."

"Where are these guys now?" demanded a man light brown hair and sharp gray eyes.

Jessie gave a triumphant grin. "At the bottom of a ravine."

The man nodded sharply and motioned for a couple of agents to load up in the jeep. "Check it out—I want to know everything we can about those men!"

"Yes sir!"

"Think it's that serious, Corbin?" muttered Race as he handed Jessie and Jonny a canteen each.

"Jesus, Race, how can you ask that? That bomb in the rental car was clearly meant for you when it went off on the carjacker—and a pair of men after the kids? Fuck, Bannon, you know as well as I do that this isn't just a little anger issue—this is the fucking real deal!" snapped Corbin darkly.

"You woke up on the wrong side of the bed again, didn't you, Mr. Corbin?" asked Jessie brightly. Jonny's snicker turned into a cough as Corbin turned his attention to the two teens.

"Did your attackers say what they wanted?"

Jonny nodded. "Yeah, they said something about treasure. I don't know what kind of treasure they were talking about. I'm broke."

Jessie turned to glance at Race. "Did someone really blow up the rental car?"

"Yep, and I almost had to sedate your mother afterwards—she was freaking out about you," replied Race smugly.

"It's nice to know that I can leave the two of you alone these days," murmured Jessie. Race grinned as he wrapped an arm around his daughter.

"Jonny!" Benton's voice grabbed Jonny's attention. The older man was hurrying towards the shaded tarp with Estella on his heels. Jonny smiled and allowed his father to wrap him in a hug as Estella did the same to Jessie.

"I'm fine, dad," said Jonny as Benton pulled away to inspect the blonde teen closely. "But I should probably apologize in advance for the jeep. I don't think it'll be coming back in one piece."

"I don't care about any jeep, Jonny, just as long as you're okay."

"I don't know why I let you stay with your father," fussed Estella glaring at Race from atop Jessie's head. "You always seem to be put in dangerous situations when you're with him."

"Here we go again," sighed Jessie.

Race was already speaking. "You think this is my fault? What the hell kind of life is it for our daughter to be out in the middle of the hokey desert digging up some mumbo jumbo with you? At least I give Jessie a little more culture by traveling the world—and I teach her what she needs to know!"

"Martial arts? Reckless driving? You call that an education, Roger Bannon? She's a young woman—not the next Bruce Lee! Jessie needs a proper upbringing—and if you can't keep her safe then I don't think she should stay with you!" shot back Estella.

Jessie took a deep breath before stepping in between her parents. "Time out!" Jessie continued the second Race and Estella stopped their argument. "What happened to letting me decide what's best for me? I'm fine. Shouldn't we be more concerned about exactly _why _Jonny and I had to embark upon a high speed chase rather than the faults of your parenting?"

Benton chuckled. "She's got you there, Race. What matters now is that our children are safe and in one piece. Race, why don't you and Corbin work together to figure out who's behind the attacks while Estella and I join Grace in studying the Immortal Stone? I believe Hadji and his mother are ready for us now."

"What about me and Jessie?" asked Jonny with a yawn.

"You sit here and don't move until I tell you to," snapped Race.

Jessie looked ready to argue when a female voice called out, "Race!"

All eyes turned in the direction of the voice in surprise. Standing there was a slender woman with glossy black hair swept back in a pony-tail and sparkling green eyes. She was dressed in a grey pantsuit with heels and a thin white shirt beneath her jacket. Despite the fact that her clothing wasn't made for an archaeological dig the woman seemed to fit perfectly. The attention of the male members of the group didn't wane as the woman approached the shaded tarp.

Jessie's eyes clouded over darkly as she recognized the woman. "You've got to be shitting me," she murmured to herself.

Race shook his head and managed to choke out a single word. "Jade?"

**A/N: I figured this was a good place to end while I figure out how to formulate the next chapter. I hope this one was pretty good. **


	4. Showtime

**Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff.**

**Chapter 4-Showtime**

"I still can't believe that this…gem actually exists," murmured Estella as she straightened her body. She had spent the last ten minutes carefully scrutinizing the Immortal Stone in a bent position.

From beside her Grace agreed. "It's amazing. Sitting in front of us is the most sought after myth in the entire world. It's almost scary if you stop and think about it. As soon as we break word of this find we're definitely going to need intensive security for the Stone."

"Perhaps," started Hadji cautiously, "it would be best if the Stone was placed in a museum somewhere."

"Oh, definitely, but now it's all a matter of _which _museum," said Benton with a small sigh. "Everyone is going to want to showcase the Immortal Stone."

A stately woman stepped forward with her arms crossed in front of her chest as she studied the red gem thoughtfully. "Sim sim salabim. It is a dangerous thing that we have here, my friends. Too dangerous, perhaps. I think it would be best for all if this…gem were to be destroyed." The woman continued with a raised hand as both Estella and Grace turned to her with horror on their faces. "Legend says that only a virgin of true heart may touch this gem…well, that is so. However, what most do not wish to repeat of the legend are the massive dangers that come with the Immortal Stone. One virgin will become a vessel. The matter lies in the one who interacts with the vessel at the moment of immortality. A person of bad heart is said to not withstand the powers of the Stone, thereby killing both the vessel and the immortal seeker. Yet, I wonder what would happen were two pure hearts to share this gem. Too many souls feared the gem throughout time…no one could safely say that their hearts were made of pure intentions."

"What are you saying, Sultana?" asked Grace.

"The Immortal Stone reads the hearts of those around it. I would not want to be around when the Chosen One touches the Stone," replied Neela Singh softly. She shook her head regretfully and slowly turned to walk away.

Hadji watched his wizened mother depart the tent before speaking. "Whatever you decide, I must say that on behalf of my people, the Immortal Stone must not be kept in Bangalore. We do not want the troubles that this Stone will ultimately bring."

Estella nodded absently. Picking out an ultimate destination for the Immortal Stone was going to be a challenge.

**Elsewhere**

Jessie felt as though her face had become stuck in a permanent glare. For the last half hour her eyes had been fastened to the figures of her father and Jezebel Jade sitting beneath another tent across from the one she and Jonny were under. Whatever the two adults were talking about, Jessie didn't like it one bit.

"For chrissakes, Jess, they aren't doing anything," grumbled Jonny opening one eye to glance over at his best friend.

"Show's what you know, hotshot. There's always something going on when Jade enters the picture. I don't even know what my dad saw in that woman. She's one step away from a prostitute," muttered Jessie darkly.

"Angry much?" teased Jonny finally opening both eyes. "Your dad and Jade have history. Unfinished history."

"I seem to recall someone else being upset about their father's love life history," shot back Jessie.

"Ha. Ha. It's not like that with my dad."

"Whatever you say, Jonny." Jessie lapsed into silence, her eyes never leaving Race or Jade.

Moments later Hadji appeared between the chairs. "How are you, my friends?" he asked.

Jonny snorted. "I think the heat's frying Jessie's brain."

"Shove off, Quest!" growled Jessie, her eyes sparkling with anger.

Hadji's eyes followed Jessie's to Race and Jade. The young Sultan studied the two adults carefully before saying, "A tiger always senses another tiger on the prowl. Jessie is wise to be distrustful of Jezebel Jade. She is one of the most dangerous tigers out there."

"Aw man, Hadji, not you too," sighed Jonny. "Jade's helped Race out loads of times before."

"Oh yeah, and each time something valuable went missing," snapped Jessie with a roll of her eyes. Jonny shrugged. Jessie was right there.

Across the way Race and Jade both stood up and returned to the tent where the teens were sitting. Race spoke up first. "Jade seems to think that the goons after you were sent by Surd. Apparently he's heard about the Immortal Stone already."

"That's nice," murmured Jessie shortly.

Jade gave a beautiful smile. "It's a wonder you're still alive, Jessica. Surd only hires the best of the best. Your father has taught you well, it seems."

Jonny grinned. "No kidding. You should've seen Jess out there today, Race. She was pretty damn calm through the entire thing."

"That's my girl," chuckled Race wrapping an arm around Jessie's shoulders. Jessie pursed her lips as she locked eyes with Jade. The woman seemed to be sending her a hidden message in her words. And Jessie had a dark feeling she knew what it was.

"So what brings you here, _Jezebel_?" questioned Jessie bitingly.

"I thought Dr. Quest and Race could use my assistance. If the Immortal Stone has really been recovered then you can bet that every criminal mastermind in the world will be after it. I'm the best in the business at stealing. Why not lend a hand?"

"How the hell did you find out about the Stone? And why the hell do you want to help us out?"

"Jessie!" scolded Race sharply.

Jade's lips set in a firm line. "I have my connections. You can be sure that Jeremiah Surd, Ezekial Rage, and Dr. Zin will all attempt to get the Stone for themselves. And as to why I would want to help you…well, let's just say an immortal crime lord isn't in my best interests."

"It doesn't sound like it would be in anyone's interests," remarked Jonny trying to ease the tension between the two females.

"What wouldn't be anyone's interests?" asked Benton as he, Estella, and Grace joined the group.

"Jade," replied Jessie crisply.

"An immortal Surd," answered Jonny at the same time. Both teens turned to glare at one another.

"Sounds like a toss up to me," mumbled Estella narrowing her eyes at the dark haired woman. Jade smirked at Estella and would probably have said something witty had Corbin not showed up.

"Looks like both men are dead in the ravine, Race. Your kids got 'em good. There wasn't any I.D. or paperwork on them. God only knows who those punks were working for. But whoever it is, they're packin' some hot weapons. I'd be a rich man if I sold the crap on the Black Market."

Race sighed and rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "Thanks for tryin'. I guess the only thing that matters is that Jonny and Jessie are safe. Still grounded, but safe." Race looked up at Benton. "So what next?"

Benton exchanged a look with Grace. "New York City. The U.N. will have to be informed of the Immortal Stone…as well as the press…and then I guess we'll take it from there."

"Sounds like another long ass plane ride to me," murmured Jonny to Jessie. The red head giggled and nodded in agreement.

**New York City**

Jonny gritted his teeth as he watched his father get into a cab with Grace and Hadji. The three were going before the U.N. that morning to discuss the world wide implications of the Immortal Stone. Estella had bowed out to spend time with Jessie. Something along the lines of needing some girl time. Jonny really figured it was because Jessie had tried to push Jade off their chartered plane the night before.

Shaking his head Jonny turned to glance over at Jessie who was undergoing a stern lecture from Race. Jonny didn't see the big deal about Jade being around. She had been around on and off for the last several years—popping up when it was least expected…and yeah, leaving with a few rare items that would later reappear on the Black Market.

"She really hates me, doesn't she?" asked Jade coming up to stand at Jonny's side.

"Don't take it too personal. Jessie hates every female that so much as glances at Race. She's a little more vocal towards you because of your, uh, day job," replied Jonny wryly.

Jade chuckled. "Of course she is. She's just like her mother—always jumping to wrong conclusions without the facts."

"Jessie's smarter than that. Just give her some time, she'll warm up."

"You really believe that?" Jade shot Jonny a dubious glance.

The blonde teen shrugged. "No, not really, but it sounded like the right thing to say. 'Sides, you never stick around long enough for her to get to know you anyway. I don't see what the big deal is."

Jade smirked. "Maybe I've found another reason to hang around you guys this time." She gave Jonny a wink and walked away to join Race as Jessie and Estella set off down the sidewalk.

Jonny rubbed the back of his neck with a frown on his face. Jade was attractive alright…she didn't look any older than her mid-twenties—at the latest; and it was more than enough for Jonny to feel awkward in her presence. He'd always had something of a crush on Jade…but he had never thought really thought about it, until now. Jonny wasn't sure he was going to survive having the beautiful thief around, especially with Jessie attempting to bump her off every few hours. Jessie would kill him if she ever found out that he was attracted to Jade—her nemesis of sorts.

A minute later Race was heading towards Jonny with Jade right behind him. "I have to meet Corbin in twenty minutes at headquarters—think you can manage to entertain Jade while I'm gone?" asked Race.

"S-sure," squeaked Jonny trying hard to act natural. Jade shot him a bemused grin.

"Good. Oh, and Jonny, would it kill you to try and be careful today? You seem to get in more trouble without Jessie around—I don't want to get a phone call from the cops, alright?"

"I'll work on it," promised Jonny making a face.

"I'm counting on that." Race turned and gave Jade a quick kiss on the lips before hailing a taxi-cab. Jade and Jonny watched silently as the taxi-cab drove away leaving the pair alone.

With a sly smile on her lips, Jade latched onto Jonny's arm. "Where to first?" she murmured.

Jonny gulped. It was definitely going to be a long day.

**Elsewhere**

"You really shouldn't have tried to push her off the plane today," said Estella as she and Jessie took seats on a bench in Central Park.

Jessie snorted. "Oh please—like you weren't gonna try it if you had been the one standing behind her. I don't trust her."

"Neither do I, but your dad…he…oh hell! You should have tried harder." Estella sat back, her forehead creased in thought.

"Aren't you supposed to be lecturing me?"

"What for? I hate Jade just as much as you do—probably more."

"Why? I thought dad met her _years _before you," stated Jessie.

"Honey, there are a lot of things you don't know about me and your father."

"Then why don't you tell me?"

Estella sighed. "I guess you have every right to know. Jade is part of the reason that your dad and I divorced."

"What?" shrieked Jessie. She turned to stare at her mom in horror.

"Your dad and Jade have never really…resolved their relationship. Jade showed up on our doorstep one day asking for help. Race felt obliged. Let's just say that your father isn't strong when it comes to something…or someone as tempting as Jade. Naturally I found out—it didn't take a genius to figure that out. I thought he needed some space…so I took you with me on a dig. A year went by and we still hadn't discussed what had happened."

"And then you divorced," muttered Jessie with a shake of her head.

"Well, Jade was still around. She answered the phone once when I tried calling. I figured that meant it was over. I filed for divorce and your dad took the job with the Quests. It was his way of showing that he was trying to give himself a steady life. Of course it was a little too late by then for us to let bygones be bygones. Honestly, I don't think we could ever have worked out with Jade in the picture. She's a part of his life that you and I will never belong."

Jessie studied her mother's face as Estella turned to gaze at the people passing them by. In the older woman's face Jessie could see hints of buried pain and love. "So does this mean you won't say anything if I cut Jade's hair while she sleeps?"

**U.N. Council**

"What does this mean then?" asked the U.N. General Assembly President. For the last two hours he had listened to Dr. Benton Quest and Dr. Grace Lin, as well as the Sultan of Bangalore talk about the Immortal Stone.

"It means, Mr. President," started Grace gently, "that we have in our hands one of the greatest treasures in the world. Every criminal in the world will be after the Stone as soon as we go public with our find."

Benton agreed. "It's dangerous, I won't deny it, but it does seem to have its own protective barriers preventing just anyone from walking away with it in their hands. Legend has it that only a virgin of pure heart will be able to activate the Immortal Stone."

The General Assembly President laughed dryly. "So if there happens to be an increase of virgin kidnappings I'll know why. Fantastic. What are you suggesting we do with the Stone in the meantime? Historians and archaeologists will throw a fit if the U.N. tries to keep the Stone hidden from the public."

Hadji spoke up to answer. "The Stone will have to be put in a museum under lock and key and twenty-four hour surveillance. The public has every right to see the gem—just as long as there is no chance whatsoever for someone to touch it. It is a dangerous and mystical stone."

"Then where do you want to put it?" The President glanced up only to see Grace and Benton eyeing each other with strained looks on their faces. "What?"

Benton sighed. "That's the problem. Every culture across the globe mentions the Immortal Stone in one way or another. Any museum—any country will have equal rights to this stone. I don't know how it's going to work."

Grace made a face. "I can gander a guess. The Immortal Stone might, possibly, be loaned back and forth from museum to museum. It's the only logical solution that will satisfy every curator and historian across the world."

"Perfect. You do know that by loaning this gem around it's going to open up every possible door for thieves everywhere, right?" groaned the President taking his eyeglasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I know—which is why I'm asking that Dr. Quest and I be there for each loan. If we were to keep an eye on the Immortal Stone each time it goes to another museum…and if we have heavy guard…it might minimize the potential threat. I figure after one year of loaning the furor over the Immortal Stone will go away, and by then it may have a permanent home," suggested Grace.

"Done," said the President with a nod. Grace smiled gratefully and turned to Benton who nodded in agreement. Everything was settled. "Your first stop then can be London."

**CIA New York Headquarters**

Race sat back in his seat, frustration evident on his face. He and Corbin had been staring at the computer with one of the newer agents, going over the last known whereabouts of Jeremiah Surd. The man had seemed to vanish off the face of the planet.

"I thought you said you had a couple of undercover agents tailing him," muttered Race.

Corbin yawned. "We did. Two are still missing. If Surd doesn't want to be found then he won't be. That's how it's always been, Race. Look, we don't even know if he's the one who sent the men after Jonny and Jessie. We're only taking Jade's word for it—and you know how I fell about trusting that woman."

"There are times I wonder if Jessie isn't your daughter. She's just like you when it comes to Jade. Did you see her try and push Jade last night? It's all because Estella is here."

"Are you sure you're not just feeling the effects of having two former flames under one roof?" chuckled Corbin. The older agent tapped the rookie on the shoulder and said, "Look up Rage and Zin. We might as well see where those two windbags have holed up. Shit, Race, anyone could be after the damn Immortal Stone—but going after Jonny and Jessie? They're just teens, what use are they?"

Race groaned. "How the hell would I know? I just don't like it. Someone's going to a lot of trouble to kill us—I just wanna know what we're up against."

The rookie spoke up. "Sorry, sir, but there's nothing here on Rage—no one's seen him for three years. Dr. Zin even longer. But…one of his daughters was spotted in Bangalore…" the rookie frowned as he read the computer screen, "two days ago?"

Race sat up quickly. "That can't be right. We would have seen her. Unless…"

"Unless what?" demanded Corbin gruffly.

"One of the Zin girls wormed her way into Hadji's heart—but that was years ago. She wouldn't dare go near him."

"Would Hadji have said anything if she had?"

"Fuck if I know. He's been in Bangalore for years now. We only see him twice a year these days—and that's if we're lucky."

Corbin stood up. "Looks like we need to have a talk with the Sultan."

"Guess so," agreed Race getting to his feet as well. Both men turned to glance at the rookie agent as the younger man talked again.

"Uh, guys, I'm getting a reading that some known cohorts of Rage's are following Jonny and Jessie. It looks like a confrontation any moment now."

**Somewhere in New York City**

Jonny gave a giant yawn as he grabbed the two sodas from the vendor. With slow steps the teen made his way back towards Jade who was leaning back against a random brick wall. They had wandered all over New York City with Jade attached to Jonny's arm.

Jade took her drink and said, "Don't look now, but there are a couple of men following us."

"Huh?" Jonny was about to turn his head when Jade grabbed his face with one hand. She kept his head staring at her and leaned up close.

"I said not to look," she hissed. "They've been following us for a while. They don't know that I've seen them. They work for Rage every once in a while. It must mean the old man is back from the dead again. He's up to something—and I think it revolves around you."

"What makes you think he's not trailing you?" asked Jonny blinking as Jade's eyes bored into his.

The older woman smiled. "That's almost flattering, Jonny but trust me; Rage wouldn't have a bone to pick with me. I only work for money—not revenge. That man is one hell of a mental meltdown."

"Alright," conceded Jonny reluctantly. "So, what do we do?"

"Follow me, and don't look back." Jade gave Jonny a peck on the cheek and grabbed one of his hands in her own. With quick steps the two were headed down the sidewalk, barely avoiding people walking in the opposite direction. At the street corner Jade turned sharply and veered down another street. Midway down the sidewalk she pulled Jonny into an alley. At this point the pair began to jog down the littered area.

Jade stopped beneath a fire escape and pulled down the ladder just as three men came running down the alley. Without question Jonny climbed up the ladder after Jade and kept climbing. Towards the top of the building the two came across an open window. Jade pulled herself through, with Jonny tumbling after her. They were greeted by a woman's scream as she stepped out of her bathroom. But Jonny and Jade were already sprinting through the apartment.

They burst out of the front door and into the hallway, the woman's screams following them as their pursuers climbed through the window as well. Jonny shook his head and followed Jade down the main stairwell, taking the steps two at a time.

"Where are you going?" he demanded as Jade sprinted down another hallway instead of continuing down the staircase.

"They're gonna expect us to keep going down!" called back Jade. Jonny shook his head and turned to follow Jade. The dark haired woman tried a few doorknobs until a door opened up. She ushered Jonny to follow her as she disappeared into the apartment. Jonny shut the door behind him only to be greeted by an angry man gearing up for a punch. Ducking just in time, Jonny moved over to the window that Jade was pushing open. The man's fist went flying through the doorway, making more noise than Jonny had thought possible.

With wide eyes Jonny climbed out the window behind Jade and hopped back down to the fire escape. Jade was already halfway down before Jonny managed to get his feet moving again. She waited at the bottom until Jonny was down and then, grabbing his hand again, ran out of the alley way and back onto the street.

"We'll have to keep up our pace until we find Race or your dad," said Jade breathlessly.

"Oh sure, make it sound easy," grumbled Jonny, but he didn't protest as Jade tugged him to jog just a little bit faster.

**Central Park**

"Mom," started Jessie after a while, "what do you think dad would say if I told him I wanted to go to prom this year?"

"What, you have a date?" questioned Estella placing her arm on the back of the park bench.

"No…not yet…but, that's not the point. He didn't let me go last year—and this year I'm a senior. I'd kinda like to go."

"I'll talk to him. Who do you want to go with?"

Jessie shrugged, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt. "I dunno. I haven't really thought about it."

"Uh-huh. Spill, Jessica—I'm not your mother for nothing, you know," replied Estella with a smirk on her face. Jessie was saved from answering as a man approached their bench.

"Excuse me, but I'm lost, do you think you could help me out?" he asked.

Estella frowned. "Well, we're not really from here—we're tourists."

"Oh, so you wouldn't know if there were any police around then?" continued the man with an evil glint in his eyes.

Jessie was already on her feet and pushing her mom off the bench as the man lunged at Estella with a knife drawn. Estella screamed as the man toppled on top of Jessie on the bench, but the teen girl was already throwing the attacker to the other side of the bench.

"Mom, run!" ordered Jessie hoarsely as the man scrambled back to his feet. Jessie slid off the bench and met the man's punch with an arm block as Estella got to her feet. The older woman grabbed her purse and hit the man squarely on the head.

Jessie watched in surprise as the man fell to the ground in a senseless heap. "What do you have in that thing?" she demanded.

"A brick—it's New York City—there are muggers here!"

"Oh dios mío, trust you to believe all the hype on T.V.," muttered Jessie. She grabbed her mom by the crook of the elbow intending on fleeing the park. The two women stopped in their tracks as three men stood blocking their paths.

"I don't think I have enough bricks for this," murmured Estella taking a step backwards. She tugged Jessie's arm, but the young teen brushed Estella away.

"I can handle these guys." With those words Jessie lunged at the trio of men with a powerful roundhouse kick. One man stopped her kick with his arms, grabbing hold of her leg. Jessie snorted and twisted her body around to kick the man with her other leg. The look on his face as he stumbled to the ground proved he hadn't quite expected that move. Jessie managed to land in a crouched position as another man stepped forward. She popped upwards, sending a fist into the man's gut. He doubled over in pain as the first man grabbed her around the waist.

Jessie gritted her teeth and quickly kneed the man in his privates, and brought her elbow down into the back of his neck. She jumped backwards and into the arms of the thirst man as the second wheezed in pain, heading her way. Jessie narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, pulling the man behind her up and over her back in a flip. The man went flying into his friend, knocking them both to the ground.

Out of nowhere Estella appeared, slamming her purse down on both heads of the men, knocking them out cold. "Ta-da," she announced wearily.

"Good job," said Jessie leaning over to catch her breath. "Man, those guys came outta nowhere."

"Jessie! Estella!" Race's voice sounded through the park as he, Corbin, and few other agents came flying down the path as fast as they could. Race pulled a shaky Estella in his arms, recognizing Jessie's need to pull herself together after the rush of adrenaline.

"Oh god," sobbed Estella. "Oh god."

"It's alright," soothed Race, smoothing the short red hair of his ex.

Corbin shook his head and motioned for his men to cuff the unconscious attackers. "You're starting to worry me, Miss Bannon—you do a better job then specially trained agents in bringing down thugs."

"No problem. You should probably start paying me for it too," replied Jessie finally straightening up.

"Not in this lifetime."

Jessie shrugged. "Your loss, not mine. How'd you guys know we were under attack, huh, dad?"

"I might have, kind of, sort of put trackers on you and Jonny this morning. You can't blame me for not being able to trust the two of you to stay out of trouble," remarked Race coolly.

"Right." Jessie shook her head just as Jonny and Jade came running down the path. They stopped short upon seeing four cuffed thugs lining the sidewalk.

"Nice work, Ace," said Jonny with a grin. The blonde teen walked over and pulled Jessie into a hug, reassuring himself that she was alright.

"You did this?" asked Jade incredulously. Jessie barely nodded as she wrapped her arms around Jonny tightly. The fight had shaken her up just a little—she hadn't been expecting to be attacked in public and in broad daylight at that. Jade's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Jessie in Jonny's arms. Her glare broadened as her eyes fell on Race soothing Estella who was still shaking from the ordeal.

"Jonny! Are you guys alright?" Benton appeared with Hadji and Grace right behind him, followed by more agents. "We were picked up at the U.N.—they said you were being chased!"

Jonny pulled away from Jessie and gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning to his father. "I'm fine. Jade and I ran the entire time—we didn't engage in any physical contact. That's Jessie's department, not mine."

"God, what the hell is going on here, Corbin? I want answers. Who's after us?"

"I don't have a fuckin' clue right now, Dr. Quest. But whoever it is, they mean business. This time it was some of Rage's goons—but I don't think it was him the other day. We do have a lead though. It turns out one of the Zin girls was in Bangalore the other day. I was hoping Hadji could shed some light on that," replied Corbin turning to glance at the young Sultan.

Hadji shifted nervously under the man's scrutiny. "I can assure you that I have not seen either Anaya or Melana for years. If either one was in Bangalore I would be the last to know about it."

"I hope for your sake you're right, but it's definitely something. Either way I'm startin' to get worried. Zin, Rage, and Surd are missing. No one knows their whereabouts. With the Immortal Stone out I'm afraid that those three are going to be our top suspects for a while. Everyone's going to have to be doubly careful from now on."

**Hours Later**

**Hotel**

Hadji leaned over the balcony, staring glumly at what he could see of the setting sun. Corbin's words echoed through his mind—one of Dr. Zin's daughters had been in Bangalore. Part of him hoped that it was Melana. Hadji didn't want to consider Anaya to be mixed up in everything.

It had been years since he had last seen Anaya…but she still held a small piece of his heart. They had connected once upon a time, and despite whom her father was and what she had done before, Hadji knew there was more to Anaya then she let on. She was good inside, if only she would let it free.

"A tiger cannot change his stripes," murmured Hadji to himself, "but sometimes camouflage is the best defense against all around him—including family."

With a heavy sigh the Sultan of Bangalore stood tall and cast one last glance at the streets below. What he saw made him catch his breath. Staring back at him from across the street was Anaya Zin. He could tell her apart from Melana anytime. Her face was always the softer of the two, her eyes always sparkled, and she held herself proudly.

Hadji and Anaya seemed to lock eyes for an eternity. Then, suddenly, she was gone. Hadji blinked in surprise before turning to re-enter his room. Lying on the second bed was Jonny, flipping through the channels on T.V.

"Enjoy the sunset?" teased Jonny.

Hadji paused thoughtfully, the truth on his lips. "Yes," he answered, "I do believe that I did."

Jonny cast his friend a strange look as Hadji disappeared into the bathroom. "Jessie's right…he _is _growing a sense of humor."

**A/N: Alright, I'm not sure how this chapter turned out, but hopefully the next one will be better. **


	5. Secure

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Chapter 5-Secure**

"That should do it," announced Grace gleefully clapping her hands together.

"You're telling me," groaned Jessie. "This place has enough booby traps and surveillance to prevent even the Pope from coming near the stupid stone now."

"Like the Pope's even gonna want to try. I'm not sure it's safe in here anymore. This place could blow any second now with all the wiring we set up," added Jonny as he too surveyed the display room of the London Museum.

Race chuckled. "This is the London Museum, guys. No one's gonna be stupid enough to try and break in here and steal the stone. They'd have to be first class idiots to even consider it."

"Or completely insane," muttered Jessie under her breath.

"Yeah," agreed Jonny, "I can think up a couple of guys who fit that description."

The small group glanced up as Dr. Quest and Estella entered the display room with museum curator. The man was thanking them for setting up the security system, as well as bringing the stone to London. Apparently it was a great honor.

Jonny swiftly began to edge away from the room and motioned for Jessie to do the same. Together the pair silently vanished from the room and down the hall.

"Where are we going?" asked Jessie curiously.

"Hadji's been acting kinda funny since yesterday. I don't think it's a good idea leaving him alone," replied Jonny with a shrug.

Jessie made a face. "So what, you want us to follow him around like he's a criminal?"

"No…I wanna follow him around if it looks like he's planning on looking for Anaya."

"Anaya? Are you joking? He told Corbin that he hasn't seen her—and I'm inclined to believe him. Jonny, Hadji's our friend."

"I know he is, but he tends to make really bad choices when it comes to Anaya."

"This coming from the guy who thinks he can trust Jade," grunted Jessie as they pushed the museum doors open and stepped outside.

"Yeah, yeah. I still don't see why you don't trust her. She's been around for days now—nothing's been stolen," argued Jonny.

"Yet. You just wait and see, hotshot. There's something goin' on, and I for one am _not _gonna get sucked into that woman's web of lies."

Hadji chuckled as he suddenly appeared before his friends, startling them. "I see you two are still having the same quarrel. It seems I cannot leave you two alone anymore."

"Hadji, Jonny thinks you're consorting with Anaya again," stated Jessie bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Jonny groaned. "I do not! I just…well…you've been acting kinda weird since last night, Hadj, and the last time you were like that was when you first met Anaya."

"I see." Hadji took a deep breath and glanced around to be sure no one would overhear him. "I was not lying when I told Mr. Corbin that I had not seen Anaya for a long time. Unfortunately, that is no longer the truth. I saw her last night outside the hotel. I do not know what her intentions were—she disappeared in the blink of an eye. However, I have thought it over and I believe that the Zins are indeed after the Immortal Stone."

"Great," murmured Jessie rubbing her forehead. "Sounds like we've got the whole gang after this stone. Man, don't the bad guys ever take holidays?"

"Not when it comes to immortality," said Jonny with a shake of his head. He turned to Hadji with a thoughtful look. "You know, we should hunt around for the Zins and see what they're up to."

"You want us to spy on them?" demanded Jessie. "Is that even wise? My dad is still having conniption fits over the Central Park deal. He's never gonna let us play spies for the day."

"Who says he has to know? Come on, if he calls us on the cell we just say we're hanging around with Hadji—visiting the sights or something. No one has to know anything so long as we don't get caught," pointed out Jonny. "Come on, Ace, it'll be fun."

Hadji sighed. "Jonny has a point, Jessie. It would be helpful to see what the Zins are up to."

"Oh, you just want to make sure Anaya isn't involved in this mess. Men, you're always so damn gullible when it comes to a pretty face!" muttered Jessie darkly.

Jonny chuckled. "You have the prettiest face around, Jess."

"Shove it, Quest, or I'll kick your ass." With that Jessie strode down the sidewalk, with both Hadji and Jonny gazing after her.

"Told ya she wants me," teased Jonny.

Hadji smirked. "Almost as much as an antelope wants a tiger."

**An Hour Later:**

"I see her!" hissed Jessie. Hadji and Jonny glanced up from the newspapers they had been staring at to see what Jessie was talking about. The red head jerked a thumb down the sidewalk to where a pretty dark haired woman walking away from them.

"Are you sure it's her? All I see is her back," murmured Jonny with a yawn.

Hadji, on the other hand, was already moving. "It is her!" he called back. "I know it is."

"Told ya," smirked Jessie brightly. Jonny glowered at her as he tossed his newspaper to a passerby. He quickly grabbed Jessie's hand and pulled her down the sidewalk to catch up with Hadji.

Together the trio swiftly maneuvered through the crowded London sidewalk at a safe distance behind Anaya. Hadji stopped short, causing both Jonny and Jessie to bump into him, when Anaya slipped down the mouth of an alleyway. Half a second passed before Hadji stepped into the alleyway. Jonny and Jessie exchanged a bemused glance at the reckless behavior of their friend before they too headed into the alleyway. What they found put Jonny on edge, and put Jessie into giggles.

Hadji was lying flat on his back with a very stern looking Anaya sitting on top of his stomach. The Asian glanced up at Jonny and Jessie with raised eyebrows, waiting for someone to break the silence.

Jessie grinned. "I could've told ya she knew we were following."

"Whose side are you on anyway, Jess?" grumbled Jonny folding his arms across his chest. Jessie shrugged nonchalantly as Anaya got to her feet and helped Hadji back onto his.

With a deep frown Anaya studied her three pursuers carefully. "You should be more careful. London is crawling with Surd's men. They'll find out that you're looking for trouble—and trust me, they'll give you trouble with a capital T."

Hadji sighed as he brushed the dirt off his clothing. It seemed Anaya was indeed mixed up with something sinister. "I had hoped you were not a part of another evil plot, Anaya. I thought perhaps you had changed."

"Family comes first, Hadji. You know that," murmured Anaya softly. "I have to protect them too…not just myself. But you know that if I could I would give anything to put this type of lifestyle behind me…but I can't. My dad and sister need me. I can't turn my back on them."

"I know," said Hadji. "I only want you to know that I am here for you, Anaya. If you can ever find it in your heart to leave your family, I will care for you."

"Gee, that's sweet, Hadj," interrupted Jonny, "but could you save the mushy stuff for later? We aren't here to watch you and Anaya play kissy face all night or whatever the hell it is you think you wanna do—we're here for some answers." Jonny turned to face Anaya with a dark look on his face. "Are you after the Immortal thingamajig?"

Jessie snorted. "Stone, hotshot. It's a stone. And that's not the important issue. Who exactly is after the stone? I want names."

Anaya made a face. "It would be better if you did not concern yourselves with the Immortal Stone. In fact, it would be best if the three of you were to get as far away from that stone as possible. It isn't safe. That gem will be the downfall of your lives and that of your families."

"Save it for someone who cares, would ya? Who's after the damn stone?" demanded Jonny taking a step towards Anaya. Instinctively, Hadji placed himself between his best friend and the Asian girl.

It was a moment later when Anaya finally answered. "Surd, Rage, and my family. At least they are the ones that I know of first hand. Now that word is getting out about the Immortal Stone, there will be others thirsting for its powers. It is only a matter of time before London comes under attack by greedy fools and power hungry men."

"Great," muttered Jessie. "It looks like we've bitten off more than we can chew this time around."

Jonny nodded in agreement as he ran a hand through his hair. "As long as we stick together as a team we should be alright though."

The group lapsed into a silence that was quickly broken by the ringing of a telephone. Jessie blinked in surprise as she dug her cell phone out of her jean pockets. "Hello? Mom? Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. What's going on? Whaddya mean dad's being an insensitive asshole? What the hell is going on? You're what? Why? Mom, mom—okay, I'll be there in a couple of minutes. I love you too. Bye."

"Problems?" teased Jonny as Jessie hung up.

"My mom's going back to South America. Apparently she and dad came to blows over Jade. So now I have to return to the hotel to say good-bye before she kills my dad," replied Jessie.

Jonny shook his head. "Alright then, I guess we better head back before the fireworks start without us."

"You two go on without me. I will catch up soon," said Hadji. Jonny looked ready to protest but Jessie quickly grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the alley. As soon as they were alone Hadji turned to look down at Anaya with a serious look in his eyes.

"I must know something, Anaya. Does our team already have a snake it its midst?"

Anaya hung her head. "You can't begin to understand the amount of danger you and your friends are in Hadji. I want to help you—I really do, but if I say anything my life will be forfeit. I…I love you, Hadji, but I can't tell you any more. I just can't."

That was all the answer Hadji needed.

**The Hotel:**

"Mom, just because dad is blind when it comes to women, doesn't mean you have to throw a hissy fit and leave—isn't that like giving up?" asked Jessie as she helped her mom drag a couple of pieces of luggage down the hotel stairs.

Estella snorted. "That bitch has your father right where she wants him. Jade will be the downfall of mankind, you mark my words, Jessica. I don't like her being around you. There's something fishy about her—and it's _not _her perfume. Call it a mother's instinct, but that evil, conniving, backstabbing woman is up to something!"

"And so you think leaving will solve all your problems?" prompted Jessie dryly.

"I would rather that you went back to South America with me, but your father has already threatened to get lawyers involved if I even suggested it to you."

"Great, why don't we call involve the C.I.A. while we're at it?"

"Corbin already talked to me—he assured me that my daughter was in the most capable hands in the world. Nothing will happen to you so long as you stay with your father," grumbled Estella as they reached the lobby. Jessie rolled her eyes. She had grown used to her parents' flair for dramatics when it came to custody of her. The C.I.A. and family lawyers were usually called nine times a year after another marital tiff.

On the other side of the lobby Jonny was being hit with news of a different kind. "What do you mean you're taking Dr. Lin out for dinner?"

"Race and Jade will be with us," pointed out Benton wryly.

"Yeah, but that makes it a double date because we all know how Jade and Race can act together," replied Jonny making a face at the thought of Jade and Race alone together—or anywhere near each other for that matter.

"Would you rather I took Grace out alone?"

"No—I'd rather you didn't take her out at all."

Benton sighed. "Son, Grace and I are old friends. It would be rude not to take her out to dinner to catch up on old times. We've been so busy with the Immortal Stone, that business has taken precedence over every aspect of our lives. If you'd rather, I can cancel this dinner and you and I can take in the sights."

Jonny quickly shook his head, his mind thinking back on the last disastrous tour of London where he had been bored to tears with his father's lectures. "What's dinner between a couple of friends, right?" asked Jonny with more cheer than he felt. "Go ahead and have a good time."

"Gee, it's nice to know I have your permission to have some fun."

"That's what I'm here for, dad."

Back on the other side of the lobby Jessie was glaring at her father as he made his way over to her and Estella. Race took Jessie's dark look in stride as he picked up Estella's luggage and made his way out of the hotel entrance.

Estella sighed and turned to her daughter. With tender hands she moved a strand of red hair out of Jessie's eyes. "I'm going to miss you, mi amor. Keep me up to date on everything, alright? And be careful, Jessie. Jade is dangerous. I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you."

"Don't worry, mom, I've got it covered. You take care of yourself too." The two embraced with tears in their eyes. Estella broke away and strode out of the hotel just as Jade entered the lobby. Jessie bit down on her tongue as the petite woman joined her.

"Is your mother leaving already? That's a shame, I was hoping to catch up on the old times with her," murmured Jade smoothly.

"Fuck you," said Jessie simply.

"My, my, what language. I wonder what your father will think of it."

"You stay away from my father!"

"Perhaps it's not your father that I want," replied Jade with a sly smile. Jessie's eyes followed Jade's gaze over to Jonny and Dr. Quest.

"Do anything to Jonny and I swear to God I'll kill you," hissed Jessie.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"It's not a promise. It's a fact."

"Is it now? You're a bit too sure of yourself, Jessica. What makes you think you could ever protect the ones you love?" challenged Jade.

Jessie's jaw tightened. "You don't know the first thing about me, Jezebel, but I'll be more than happy to show you what I'm capable of if you even _think _about hurting Jonny."

"You aren't even in my league, kid."

"Wanna bet?"

Across the lobby, yet again, Jonny was struggling to keep his temper in check as his father listed off the various reasons why Jonny shouldn't make a big deal about Benton having one meal with Grace. Jonny was about to interrupt his father and point out that a man his age shouldn't be allowed to date when a commotion on the other side of the lobby caught their attention. Both Quest men turned in confusion to the source of the noise only to see Jade flat on her back, trying to push Jessie off of her.

"Jessie!" Jonny was already moving just as Race re-entered the hotel lobby.

"Goddammit!" cursed Race as he too headed over to the fight.

Jessie had her hands firmly latched onto Jade's hair, and was tugging with all her might as Jade scratched at Jessie's face with her nails. Jonny quickly swooped in and grabbed Jessie around the waist and pulled her off Jade. Jessie kicked angrily as she tried to entangle herself from Jonny's iron grip.

"You're running out of chances, Jade!" seethed the red head as she finally gave up and glared down at the bane of her existence, who was being tended to by Race. "You screw up and I'll make sure no one ever finds your body!"

"Just try it!" shot back Jade with a look of pure hatred. The look vanished as Jade allowed herself to be wrapped into Race's arms in a hug.

Race gave his on-again, off-again lover a quick kiss on the forehead and helped her to her feet before turning his wrath on Jessie. "What the hell did you think you were doing? That's not how I raised you to act! Pull another stunt like this again and I'll ground you until you're thirty!"

Jessie took the tirade without batting an eye. "If you want to keep her around, go ahead. But don't expect me to like it."

"As long as you're with me you'll do as I say, young lady!"

"I hate you!" Wrenching herself out of Jonny's arms, Jessie turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs in a visible retreat. Jonny didn't miss a beat. He was hot on her heels before Race could say another word.

"What's your problem, Jess?" asked Jonny as he followed Jessie up the stairs. "You've been off the wall since Jade showed up. I know you don't like her, but usually you don't show it."

"Let's just say that woman is pressing all my buttons this time around. No one else is around when it happens—so it's always going to be my word against hers. And we all know who you men will believe," growled Jessie as they reached the door to her hotel room.

Jonny groaned. "That's not true, Jessie."

"Oh really? Then how come I'm the one always getting yelled when something happens between me and Jade? I know she's pretty—but that's really all she has going for her. Jade is a crook. Nothing will ever change that, and one way or another I'm going to prove she can't be trusted."

"And if you're wrong?"

"I'm not wrong, Jonny. I am anything but wrong on this one, and if no one chooses to believe me then obviously this isn't the place for me."

Jonny studied Jessie suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Dad can only tell me what to do as long as I'm with him. If he chooses Jade over me, then obviously I'm going to go live with my mom permanently," replied Jessie.

Groaning, Jonny said, "Jess, you turn eighteen soon. You'll be able to do whatever you want then."

"Jonny, if you had a choice, who would you rather have around, me or Jade?" Jessie waited as Jonny lapsed into silence. Normally this would have been a no brainer, but both teens knew things had changed. Jessie gave Jonny a sad smile before disappearing into her hotel room. Jonny sighed and pressed his head against the closed door, listening to the sounds of the locks clicking shut.

Turning around Jonny leaned back against the door and slid to the ground, his mind and heart racing. Why hadn't he said anything? Would he really be tempted to keep Jade around instead of Jessie?

Shaking his head, Jonny buried his face in his hands with another groan. No matter what he decided now, he and Jessie would never be the same.

**A/N—I can't believe how long it took me to come up with this chapter. I had it outlined weeks ago, but for some reason couldn't get myself to write it out. I think because it really was an uneventful chapter. It's definitely not one of my favorites. Don't worry, the action should be picking up again very soon. I hope to get the next chapter up sometime later this weekend. **


	6. A Brief Moment

**Disclaimer: This doesn't belong to me.**

**Chapter 6—A Brief Moment**

Mrs. Evans watched in amusement as Jonny and Jessie dragged their luggage through the front door of the compound. The two teens looked exhausted, and it was obvious they weren't speaking to each other. Mrs. Evans' attention however was quickly drawn to Hadji as he stepped through the doorway behind his two friends. She clapped her hands in delight and set about giving him several unnecessary hugs and kisses on his cheeks. She had helped raise all three of the teens, but Hadji with his penchant for being calm and collected under pressure, had won her heart. He never tried to give her a heart attack by trying to jump off the roof of the house in an attempt to learn how to fly.

"It is good to see you too, Mrs. Evans. I have missed your cooking most grievously," murmured Hadji with a genuinely warm smile. Mrs. Evans smiled back and moved aside to allow Race and Benton to enter the front doorway. Her smile faltered when she saw Jade following behind Race, but she quickly hid her discomfort to help Grace out as the older Asian woman stepped inside with several suitcases. It wasn't Mrs. Evans' place to dislike any of the houseguests her surrogate family brought home. She just had to grin and bear it, and thank god that she lived on the other side of town.

Meanwhile, Jonny was climbing up the stairs behind Jessie to deposit his bags in his room. He bit back a scathing remark as Jessie shut her bedroom door in his face. Apparently she was still mad at him. Jonny gritted his teeth and headed over to his room to drop his bags on the floor. He would have to make it up to her later.

**The Next Day**

"I still don't see why we have to go to school. The Principal wants us to attend lunch detention with him," said Jonny slumping in his seat at the breakfast table.

"It serves you right," replied Race matter-of-factly. "You shouldn't be torturing that poor man anymore. I think you and Jessie have been the cause of more break downs than were possible for that guy. This is his fourth broken marriage!"

Jessie made a face. "You can't blame us for that one. That was entirely his own fault for marrying a gold digger. The fact that she left him for a younger man shouldn't have come as a surprise. She used to be a stripper for crying out loud!"

"Regardless, behave your selves at school," remarked Benton rubbing his forehead wearily. "You two have become quite a handful since you returned to public school. I would rather not receive any more phone calls from your principal. I have a lot of work to do today, so please, please be good."

"I believe I have missed much excitement while I have been in Bangalore," chuckled Hadji with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"You have no idea," agreed Race turning his attention back to his meal. Jessie glowered at him, and her gaze darkened as Jade descended the staircase and took a seat between both Race and Jonny.

Jessie got to her feet. "We better get going, Jonny. I'd hate to get any more detention than is absolutely necessary."

"But, Jess, school doesn't start 'til eight—it's not even seven thirty yet!" protested Jonny glancing down at his wristwatch.

"Fine, I'll leave without you."

Race shook his head. "You still aren't allowed to drive yet, Ponchita."

Making a face, Jessie walked over to the telephone on the wall and punched in a phone number. She turned to her dad and gave him a bright smile as she listened to the ringing. "Hey, it's Jessie. Do you think you could pick me up and give me a ride to school? Jonny's a bit…indisposed at the moment. Yeah. Thanks, Brad, I owe you one." Triumphantly Jessie hung up the phone as both Jonny and Race got to their feet protesting.

"Brad Hailey? Are you insane, Jess?" demanded Jonny angrily. "That guy's only after one thing!"

"I don't trust him! If you get in that car with him I'll ground you for life!" added Race harshly.

"Do that and I'll move to South America," stated Jessie simply. Race fell silent.

Jonny shook his head. "Man, what's with you lately? You don't even like Brad!"

"I'm getting a ride from him, not marrying him. For chrissakes, why can't you guys lay off me every once in a while, huh? I'm not a fragile little girl—I know how to take care of myself. Besides, Brad's not even my type."

"Try telling Brad that!"

"Oh, grow up, Quest." With that Jessie strode out of the kitchen and back upstairs to gather her things.

Race opened his mouth and then shut it again. Jonny frowned, but kept silent. The two men slumped back down into their seats, each contemplating the latest turn of events. Fifteen minutes later a horn sounded from outside the compound. Jessie bounced down the stairs and out the front door without so much as a glance at her father. Jonny gritted his teeth as the front door slammed shut. Seconds later he was out of his seat, searching for his backpack and car keys.

"I believe I have missed something very important here," started Hadji as Race got up to help Jonny in his search. "Who is this Brad Hailey character?"

"Trust me, Hadji," murmured Benton wisely, "you don't want to know."

**Rockport High School**

"So, uh, does this mean you've reconsidered and wanna go out sometime?" asked Brad as he pulled into the school parking lot.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Not really. Thanks for the ride though. You're a real lifesaver."

Brad chuckled as he got out of his jeep and jogged around to the other side. With a wide grin he opened the passenger side door for Jessie. "Admit it, I'm growing on you."

"Brad, we've been over this a hundred times now. I'm just not interested in you."

"Why not? You're not still hung up on Jonny, is it?"

Jessie's eyes widened in horror. "What? You think I'm into Jonny?"

"Well aren't you? Why else would you turn down every guy who has ever asked you out on a date? The entire football team has been turned down! I should know, I'm the captain," replied Brad running a hand through his brown hair.

"Jonny has nothing to do with why I've been turning guys down. It's complicated. My dad isn't exactly very lenient when it comes to boys. If I were to bring a guy home to meet him, I'd rather it be because I really, really like him. Not because he's good looking—or even the captain of the football team."

"Are you saying I might have a chance?" asked Brad with sly smile. Before Jessie could respond Jonny pulled up into the parking lot, and hopped out of his car.

"Hey, Brad. Jessie." Jonny flashed the pair a grin as he joined them.

"Pendejo." Jessie turned on her heel and walked away without another word, leaving both Jonny and Brad speechless.

"Dude, what'd you do to her?" questioned Brad.

"I'm not entirely sure," murmured Jonny with a sigh. "But boy does she hold a grudge."

"Yeah, well whatever you did, keep it up. She's starting to pay more attention to me now." Brad clapped Jonny on the back before jogging to catch up with Jessie.

"Great, my greatest wish come true," muttered Jonny under his breath. Grumbling, the blonde teen grabbed his backpack out of his car and slung it over his shoulder. He walked into the school and made his way over to his locker, barely acknowledging the blonde girl who came up to him.

"Hey, Jonny. We've missed having you around the past couple of weeks," said the girl.

"Hey, Samantha." Jonny turned his attention to his locker as he rummaged around in search of a text book.

Samantha pouted. "Let me guess, you and Jessie had another fall out. Jonny, what do you see in her? You guys break up every other week. Obviously you aren't meant to be together."

"Break up? What are you talking about? Jessie and I have never been together," scoffed Jonny. "We're just friends."

"A likely story. Everyone knows you two have something going on…it's so obvious. Personally, I don't think you two go well together. But hey, that's just me." Samantha rolled her eyes before walking away, leaving Jonny even more confused than ever. His eyes wandered across the hallway to where Jessie was busy stuffing a couple of notebooks into her own backpack, clearly ignoring Brad who was talking away beside her.

For some reason, it was as though he was noticing her for the first time. Lucky for him, the school bell rang, clearing his mind of all thoughts.

**Quest Compound**

"Here's another indigenous culture that mentions the Immortal Stone," announced Grace looking up from the computer in front of her.

"That makes it the thirtieth one," said Benton rubbing his eyes before replacing his eyeglasses. He too was seated in front of a computer, staring at its screen.

"Actually, we are up to forty now," replied Hadji calmly. He was seated on the floor with several books sprawled out around him. The trio had been researching any and all mention of legends that resembled that of the Immortal Stone. So far it seemed every culture had some kind of tale about the mythological stone. This meant that immortality was high on everyone's list throughout time.

"It's amazing. The Immortal Stone seems to have been sought by the entire world at one time or another," murmured Grace. "I'm starting to wish I had never found it. The entire world is going to want to house that gem at least once. We're going to be globetrotting for the rest of our lives!"

"Think of it as an adventure," remarked Benton with a small smile. "You always wanted to travel the world and see the sights. Now you can without having to dig up another sight."

"That isn't remotely comforting," replied Grace dryly. Benton chuckled, causing Grace to smile, before both adults turned their attentions back to their respective computers. Hadji smiled to himself as well as he glanced down at his books. Love was in the air.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the compound, Race and Corbin were steadily turning the underground basement into a temporary C.I.A. office. Corbin was refusing to leave the Quests until the danger of the Immortal Stone had passed, and at this point it seemed highly unlikely.

The basement was now overrun with agents and high-tech equipment brought in to help locate and track any and all individuals who so much as thought about the Immortal Stone.

Currently, Race and Corbin were going over the last known whereabouts of Melana and Anaya Zin when a younger agent appeared at their table.

"Yes?" asked Corbin brusquely.

"Sir, the Dr. Zin, Surd, and Rage were spotted together in London about an hour ago."

"And?"

"Well, that's the thing…our agent vanished after reporting in to us. We haven't been able to locate him since then."

Race shook his head. "It's looking grimmer by the second, Corbin. They mean business this time."

"Yeah, but would it kill them not to get rid of all my field agents? They're the reason recruitment is down!" growled Corbin darkly. He sighed and turned back to the younger agent. "Keep trying and see if you can locate our man…the least we can do now is find a body."

"Yes sir!" The agent quickly headed back to his computer and headset.

"I'm starting to think we've got ourselves into something more than we can handle this time around," said Race silently.

"Just remember, you signed up for this fifteen years ago."

"Yeah, but I didn't think I'd ever have to go up against three of the most wanted men in the world at one time," agreed Race reluctantly.

**Later That Day**

"So are you riding home with me or what?" asked Jonny as he leaned up against the lockers beside Jessie's.

The red head shook her head. "I'd rather take my chances with Brad."

"C'mon, Jess, I've said I was sorry like a million times now. What's the big deal?"

"Jonny, do you even know what you're apologizing for?" demanded Jessie shutting her locker and turning to glare at her friend.

Jonny shrugged. "I figured it had something to do with the Jade thing back in London."

"You really are clueless. When will you ever open your eyes and see what's around you?"

"What are you talking about? Jess, if this is about trusting Jade; I think you're getting ahead of yourself this time around. She's on our side."

Jessie sighed. "I know what I feel…and my gut tells me that she's leading us into one helluva trap. One of us needs a clear head if she's gonna be around, and apparently that'll be me. I'll see you at home later."

Jonny frowned and watched as Jessie walked away, joining Brad who was waiting for her. Jonny didn't like seeing them together…he didn't trust Brad. He snorted at the thought. This was probably the way Jessie felt about Jade, but Jessie was wrong about Jade. She had to be.

Shaking his head, Jonny slowly made his way out into the parking lot. He could see Brad's jeep in the distance, with a familiar red head seated in the passenger seat. He clenched his hands into fists and turned towards his own car. Jonny blinked in surprise at seeing Jade seated in the passenger seat.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in confusion.

Jade shrugged. "I was bored. Race is playing C.I.A. agent again with Corbin…and I'm not much help when it comes to cultural mumbo-jumbo, so I didn't bother helping out your father or Dr. Lin. And Hadji doesn't seem to like me much either. He needs to lighten up if you ask me, he's too serious."

Jonny chuckled as he flung his backpack into the back seat of his car and got behind the wheel. "So you figured you'd come to school?"

"I would have asked Jessie to take me shopping, but that would be like asking her to kill me. She really doesn't like me. I don't think she ever will, besides, I thought you and I were friends?"

Jonny gulped as the dark haired woman pouted prettily. He never was good with the opposite sex. Multiple fights with Jessie were all proof of that. "We are. So, uh, what do you want to do?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could talk," answered Jade turning to face Jonny. She brought a finger up to trace the neckline of his shirt.

"T-talk?" wheezed Jonny as he felt beads of sweat developing on his forehead.

Jade nodded with a seductive smile. "Uh-huh." With that she brought Jonny's head down to hers, crashing her lips against his.

**Quest Compound**

"I'm home!" called out Jessie as she entered through the front door of the mansion. She frowned at the silence that greeted her. Go figure, no one was home. Jessie let out a small sigh as she trudged upstairs to her room. She flung her backpack onto her bed before heading downstairs to the kitchen. She was greeted by a bark.

Grinning Jessie crouched down onto the ground and patted her legs for Bandit to come to her. The older dog happily trotted over to her and greeted her hands with slobbery kisses. Jessie gave him a thorough petting before getting back onto her feet. The next ten minutes were spent giving Bandit fresh food and water.

"Apparently you've been neglected too, huh?" she murmured to the dog as she watched him much away at his food.

"Ponchita, is that you?" called out Race appearing in the kitchen.

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Who else?"

"Where's Jonny?"

"Don't know, don't care."

"Alright, spill, what's going on with you two?" demanded Race suspiciously.

"Dad, you wound me. Why is it that you always think the worst? Why can't Jonny and I have separate lives?" replied Jessie, feigning mock hurt.

"Maybe because you two haven't been apart since the moment you met."

Jessie made a face just as Benton walked into the kitchen with Grace on his heels. "If the Immortal Stone really does have the powers that legends say it has, then those powers need to be manifested into some type of conductor so that no one can utilize their potential. There has to be a way to get that power out of the stone," said Benton running a hand through his hair.

Grace sighed. "I wish I knew of a way, because then it would solve all or our problems. The fact that no one has been able to utilize any of the hidden powers of the stone does not bode well for society today. We could be in even greater danger now with all of the technology around us."

"I take it you two haven't found anything useful yet, huh?" teased Race taking a seat at the table.

Benton took two bottles of water out of the refrigerator and handed one to Grace as they joined Race at the table. "It's frustrating to know that that stone could be more dangerous than a nuclear warhead."

"Hey," started Jessie, "where's Hadji?"

"Mrs. Evans roped him into taking a trip to the store with her to pick up groceries," answered Benton with a grin.

Grace giggled. "I thought it was sweet. It's quite apparent that she's missed having him around."

Jessie grumbled. "I knew she favored him over me and Jonny."

"Can you blame her?" questioned Race. "You and Jonny put quite a few gray hairs on her head—if not all of them. Remember when you tried to fly off the roof?"

"Ha. Ha. You should be a comedian." Jessie turned to glance out the kitchen window and frowned as Jonny pulled up with Jade in the passenger seat. "Speaking of Jonny, he just brought in the trash."

"That's funny, today's not Tuesday," murmured Race. The older man got out of his seat and went to glance out the window to see what Jessie was talking about. He frowned down at his daughter after spying Jade getting out of the car. "That isn't nice, Ponchita. You know I don't like it when you call Jade names."

"But you call mom names all the time."

"Cute. Now go to bed. Apparently you aren't up to being civilized for dinner tonight."

"It will be my pleasure. Be sure to say goodnight to the lady slut for me, would you?" Jessie patted her father on the cheek before heading up the stairs with Bandit on her heels.

Race turned to Benton with a pleading look on his face. "You wanna trade kids?"

"Not a chance."

"Is something wrong?" asked Jade, rushing to Race's side upon entering the kitchen.

"Just living up to my expectations as a parent," replied Race brushing his lips against Jade. "Where's Jonny?"

"He said something about having some homework to do." Jade smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around Race's waist. "He'll be down later."

Upstairs, however, Jonny was far from doing homework. He was sprawled out across his bed, still thinking about Jade. Everything about her was intoxicating. Her face, her lips, her scent…if Jonny didn't know better he would say he was in love, but he knew that wasn't the case. It couldn't be the case, could it? But that kiss from earlier…

Jonny sat up in bed and ran a hand over his face. If Race ever found out about this Jonny would be dead. The man was protective of Jessie…Jonny could only guess how the man would react when it came to his part time lover.

"Man, I am so screwed," groaned Jonny to himself.

**Later That Night**

Jessie sighed as she made her way downstairs. She had been true to her word and not made a single peep from her room during dinner. But now, three hours later, she was starving. On padded feet, Jessie made her way into the kitchen and over to the fridge. She opened it up, indecision hitting her as she studied the contents of the fridge.

A soft sound from out on the back porch interrupted her train of thought though. Frowning, Jessie closed the fridge and concentrated on the sound. She couldn't quite place her finger on what it reminded her of. As silent as a mouse Jessie made her way over to the kitchen sink and glanced out onto the porch. What she saw sent a knife through her heart.

"Jessie?" Hadji called out softly as he entered the kitchen. When the red head didn't respond Hadji walked over to the sink. He glanced at her quizzically before following her gaze outside. He heaved a heavy sigh as he made out the figures of Jonny and Jade entwined in a passionate kiss.

"Jessie, are you alright?"

"Don't _even_ say anything," hissed Jessie. Hadji watched in surprise as Jessie pushed away from the sink and disappeared up the stairs. He leaned back against the sink, his own mind awhirl. "Jonny, what have you gotten yourself into? Only a blind antelope would bring a tiger into its den."

Upstairs Jessie silently closed her door and locked it. There was a wild look in her green eyes as she strode over to her phone. She was angry. She was confused. She was pissed. She was hurt. With those conflicting emotions she picked up the phone from her nightstand and punched in a series of numbers. She sunk down on her bed and waited for the other line to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Brad? It's Jessie. I've been giving it a lot of thought…and I think I want to give it a chance. Us, I mean."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I've never been surer of anything in my life than this."

**A/N—Confused? Horrified? Me too. Don't worry, this won't last for long—any of it. I'm already working on the next chapter, so don't hate me too much for all I've done so far. **


	7. Hard Feelings

**Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own this stuff.**

**Chapter 7—Hard Feelings**

Jonny looked up with a yawn as Jessie made her way down the stairs, humming to herself. "What are you so happy about?" he asked as Hadji entered the kitchen and took a seat beside Jonny. Race and Benton glanced up as Jessie poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Oh nothing much, really. I just have a date tonight."

"A what?" exclaimed Race and Jonny at the same time. Hadji shook his head as Race got out of his seat. The young sultan had a very good idea where Jessie was going with this.

"How can you have a date—and how come I didn't know about it?" demanded Race.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Maybe because you were asleep when I agreed to it? Dad, I'm almost eighteen. I'm allowed to date, remember? You gave me permission to do that when I turned sixteen."

"Yeah, but I said you could go so long as you got permission. You didn't ask permission for this one."

"Yes I did."

"Oh really, with who?"

"Mom."

"Liar."

Jessie raised her eyebrows and held up a single hand solemnly. She brought her other hand up to her face to study the watch and began to count down using her raised hand. As soon as she reached the one the phone rang.

Race made a face as he answered it. "Estella?" Race made a fist at his daughter as Jessie blew him a kiss on her way out of the kitchen. Jonny glanced over at his father and Hadji, both of whom were busying their selves with their breakfasts. At the kitchen stove Mrs. Evans was wisely concentrating on the next stack of pancakes.

"Hey, Jessie, wait up!" called out Jonny racing after his friend. Jessie paused at the front door and turned to look at Jonny with an innocent look. Too innocent.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Who's the date with? And how come I didn't know about it?"

"You were a little busy last night, and besides, it's really not that big of a deal," remarked Jessie with a shrug. "It's just Brad."

"Brad? You're going on a date with Brad?" Jonny's voice rose an octave in disbelief. His next words were drowned out by the beeping of a horn. Jessie opened the front door and both teens stepped outside to see Brad sitting in his jeep waiting.

"Like I said, Jonny, it's no big deal. Don't wait up tonight." Jessie gave Jonny a lazy wave as she headed over to Brad's jeep and hopped in. Jonny watched with a tug at his heart as the jeep drove away. He ran an unsteady hand through his hair before turning to go back in the house. In the kitchen Hadji already had Jonny's keys in his hand.

"Thanks," said Jonny as he snatched the keys and grabbed his backpack off the floor. "I'll see you guys later."

"Jonny, wait!" said Benton waving at his son to look at him. "Tonight you and I are going out to eat. I want to talk to you about some things."

Jonny nodded absently. "Yeah, dad, sure, can I go now? Jessie's making the biggest mistake of her life. Brad Hailey! What is she thinking?" Shaking his head and muttering to himself Jonny turned and headed out of the kitchen as Race started yelling into the phone.

"I don't care what she told you—but that boy is not to be trusted! You're right; I _don't _trust any boy when it comes to my daughter! She shouldn't date until she's thirty-five—at the earliest!"

**On the Other Side of Town**

Jade sighed as she picked up her cell phone. She glanced at the caller I.D. and smirked before answering it.

"Hello? No, things are going according to plan. The Bannon girl doesn't trust me—losing the respect of her father and friends; Race is preoccupied with the C.I.A.; and Jonny is infatuated with me. A few more days and he'll be willing to put down his life for mine. Don't worry, everything's under control. She isn't a threat anymore…she returned to South America. I promise you'll have everything you've ever desired within the week."

In satisfaction Jade hung up the phone and leaned back against the headboard of the hotel bed. She lit up a cigarette and smiled to herself as she mentally went over the plans a second time. Everything was running smoothly at this point. She just needed a little more time to finish up the job.

"If only that girl would mind her own damn business," Jade muttered to herself in between puffs of smoke. But she could easily deal with that problem if it continued to present itself.

**Quest Compound**

**Makeshift C.I.A. Headquarters**

"Sir! You should have a look at this. It's a garbled phone message made by Surd."

Corbin glanced up from the papers in front of him with a guarded look. "Can you make anything of it?" he snapped.

"Well…all we can make of it so far is 'Quest', 'kid', 'stone'," replied the agent sheepishly.

Corbin nodded absently. "That's enough. Get a hold of Race and let him know what we've found. Oh, and get some agents to tail Jonny from now until I cut them off. I have a feeling that's who Surd is after."

"You've got it, sir."

**That Evening**

Jonny drummed his fingertips along the tabletop as he waited for his dad to finish looking at the menu. Truthfully, Jonny didn't want to be here. He wanted to be home sitting on the front porch waiting for Jessie to return from her date with Brad. Of all the guys to date, she had to pick the one guy who was only looking for an easy lay.

School had been miserable. Everyone had heard about Jessie's date with Brad…and Jonny had received numerous condolences on losing his girlfriend to the star quarterback. Up until today Jonny had had no idea how many people in Rockport thought he and Jessie had been a couple.

"Son, are you alright?" questioned Benton eyeing Jonny carefully.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, great."

Benton sighed. "Why don't you tell me what you did to make Jessie mad enough to go out with Brad?"

"It's nothing, dad. We're just having a little…disagreement of sorts. She'll get over it soon enough…and by then she'll realize Brad's a complete asshole," replied Jonny flippantly.

"Of course. It's nice to see that you and Jessie always seem to work out your differences in the most extreme or manners. Race has been trying to get a hold of his lawyer all day—something along the lines of keeping Estella from making parental decisions without his okay."

"It's not my fault that Jess took after Estella and Race can't handle it." Jonny shook his head and became quiet silent as the waiter arrived to take their orders. As soon as the waiter was gone, Jonny started to talk again. "So, uh, what'd you want to talk about, dad? You made it sound important this morning."

Benton cleared his throat and shifted nervously in his seat. "Well, it is important. Jonny, you're practically an adult now, next year you'll be off in college and out of the house. I'll still be working around the globe…but I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I think it's time I started dating again."

"Dating?"

"Yes. Jonny, it's been fifteen years now, I think it would be more than appropriate for me to move on, don't you?"

"Dating? Who would you date?" demanded Jonny suspiciously.

"Well, I was…thinking…of um…Grace," answered Benton softly.

"Grace? Grace Lin, Grace?"

"Yes."

"Dad, do you honestly think you've thought this completely through? Dating is a big thing. Maybe you should think about it some more."

"Son, I know it's hard to see your old man dating again, but it is time. I'm lonely, Jonny…and Grace and I, well we used to date once upon a time. It's been wonderful seeing her again and catching up. It has made me realize just how much I miss having a significant other in my life."

"If you're lonely we can get you dog! Bandit needs a new friend too!"

"Jonny, you have to understand. I am an adult…just as you are. I really care for Grace, and I would like the chance to see if perhaps she feels the same way about me. I'm not asking for your opinion or advice on this. I just wanted to give you a heads up so that you wouldn't be completely surprised to see more of Grace after the Immortal Stone is secured somewhere permanently."

Jonny's face tightened with a mixture of hurt and anger. Without a word he pushed himself out of his seat and stormed off towards the men's restroom. Benton sighed wearily as he let his son go. Jonny just needed time.

Time, however, was the furthest thing from Jonny's mind. First the fight with Jessie, then the whole thing with Jade, and now this…Jonny wasn't sure what to make of his father's announcement. Sure the man was lonely…but Grace? Hell, any female in the world could never come close to being the perfect woman to take care of Benton for the rest of his life.

With a furious shake of his head, Jonny pushed the restroom door open with a hard shove as he entered. Marble tile was the theme, causing Jonny to groan; it always made him feel as though he had to be sure and not make any messes while in such a place. His thoughts were interrupted however, by a thick hand gripping him by the throat and lifting Jonny into the air.

Choking, Jonny glanced down. The thick hand belonged to a burly man with several scars on his tanned face. The man looked anything but friendly.

"You're comin' with me, kid," growled the man with a dry chuckle.

"Sorry, bud…but I…have other…plans," gasped out Jonny clasping both his hands around the wrist attached to his throat. With a grunt Jonny thrust both of his legs into the man's gut, knocking the fellow backwards. The man loosened his grip around Jonny's neck, enabling the teen to wrench free and drop to the ground. Jonny dodged another grab by his attacker, moving further into the restroom.

The attacker turned around and charged towards Jonny once more, but Jonny was ready for him. The teen grabbed the metal trash bin sitting beside the wall and hurled it at his attacker with all his might. The man stumbled backwards in a daze just as Jonny threw a fist into the man's nose. Blood squirted out, dripping onto Jonny when the attacker lunged forward yet again, knocking the teen backwards into the marble sink.

Jonny sucked in his breath as pain jolted up and down his spine. He gritted his teeth, however, and punched the attacker in the jaw as hard as he could. A cracking sound was heard, but Jonny ignored it. The blonde launched himself forward with several more punches into the man's face until both Jonny's fists and the man's face became bloody. The man growled and reached towards Jonny, but Jonny quickly flipped the man over his shoulder and into the sink. There was a sickening crunch as the man's head came into contact with the marble countertop before hitting the floor with a loud crack. Blood oozed into a large puddle beneath the attacker as Jonny leaned back against the door of a stall to catch his breath.

"What the hell?"

Jonny looked up as a customer walked into the restroom, stopping short upon spying the fallen man lying prone on the ground. The patron glanced at Jonny and backed out of the restroom. As the door closed shut Jonny could hear the patron calling out for police and an ambulance.

Taking a deep breath, Jonny forced himself to kneel down beside his attacker to check the man's pulse. Nothing. With a shake of his head Jonny swiftly rifled through the dead man's pockets searching for clues as to what he had wanted with Jonny.

Benton burst into the restroom with two undercover agents just as Jonny pulled out a single piece of paper from the man's back pocket. Opening it up all Jonny could see was an address scribbled on a piece of paper.

It was the address of the restaurant Jessie was having her date with Brad at.

**On the Other Side of Town**

Forcing a smile onto her face, Jessie lifted a forkful of lettuce into her mouth. This was the first and last time she ever let a guy order food for her. Salad—who ate salads as a full meal these days? Brad definitely wasn't earning any brownie points in Jessie's book. In fact, she was starting to regret agreeing to this date in the first place.

"So there I was running as fast as I could at the end zone when all of a sudden the quarterback from the other team appeared out of nowhere. I dodged left, and then I dodged right, and then when I saw that my guys weren't anywhere near me and the other team was closing in I leaped over the quarterback and made my sixth touchdown of the night." Brad sat back in his chair with a goofy smile on his face, recalling the apparently enchanting moment from his recent past. Jessie eyed the silverware in front of her wondering if anyone would notice her trying to kill her date off this evening.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the ringing of her phone. With an apologetic smile, and a quick prayer that there was an emergency on the other end, Jessie quickly answered her cell phone. "Hello?"

"Jessie? It's Grace; I'm heading over to your restaurant now. Benton just called—Jonny was attacked at dinner, and the attacker had the address of your date's restaurant in his pocket. Agents are on their way, but they're on the other side of town. I'm the closest one to you this evening, so I'm picking you up. Be careful—whoever's looking for you could already be there."

"I got it, thanks." Jessie hung up and glanced around the restaurant suspiciously. She instantly spotted a pair of men who stood out like sore thumbs. "Brad, we've got a problem."

"What kinda problem?"

"Two very muscular problems. Jonny was attacked at dinner with his dad—and now it's my turn."

Brad made a face. "Jessie, whatever's going on, I promise I'll protect you. But I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm the quarterback of the football team—no one would be stupid enough to attack you with me around."

Jessie chomped down on her tongue as Brad ended his speech with an unnatural squeak as the two men knocked their table aside, sending nearby patrons running and screaming out of the restaurant. With lightning quick speed Jessie slipped out of her chair and launched a roundhouse kick at one of the men bearing down on her. The man stumbled backwards into a nearby table, knocking both the table and himself to the ground.

With a snort Jessie turned her attention to Brad who was being wrestled to the ground by the other attacker. Jessie grabbed the attacker by the hair, pulling him high enough off the ground to knee him squarely in the face. From behind her, Jessie felt the first attack grab her, pinning her arms to her side. Gritting her teeth Jessie backed the man up into yet another table, knocking him backwards flat on the tabletop. The man didn't loosen his grip until Jessie kicked her legs into the air, sending her in a flip over the man's head. His back cracked loudly as his arms struggled to keep her in his grasp.

Jessie stumbled into a steady position as the second attacker punched Brad and turned his attention to Jessie. The red head narrowed her eyes and waited for the man to make the first move. She wasn't disappointed. He lunged towards her, only to go sailing over her head as she dropped backwards onto her back, using her legs to hurl the man into the air. He landed with a crash onto another table, sliding to the ground in a tizzy.

Brad scrambled to his feet and readied himself for another onslaught, but none came. Instead police officers surged into the restaurant with their guns raised. Right behind them was Grace and an undercover agent.

"What the hell just happened?" demanded Brad with wide eyes.

"I told you there was a problem."

"Then why didn't you let me handle it?"

Jessie's face darkened. "I'm not fragile, Brad. I can take care of myself. Besides, it looked like you had things _far_ from handled."

"You didn't even give me a chance!" argued Brad hotly.

"Apparently I shouldn't have given you a chance for this date. It's obvious you're not my type. But thanks for dinner. The next time I feel like playing the part of a bunny I'll give you a call." Jessie turned on her heels and headed over to where Grace was. The Asian woman wrapped an arm around Jessie's shoulders and led her out of the restaurant, while dialing Benton's cell phone with the other hand. It had been a rough evening.

**Quest Compound**

Race paced back and forth along the porch. Jade watched in amusement. They had just received word that Jonny had been attacked at dinner, and that agents were on their way to check on Jessie.

With a frown, Jade finally spoke, initiating the next part of her plan. "Race, I think that tonight's attacks have something to do with the Immortal Stone."

"You're damn right it does—someone wants to use Jonny and Jessie to activate that fuckin' rock!" growled Race angrily.

Jade rolled her eyes at Race's back. "Well, yes, but I think you need to know something. A break-in is being planned for the Immortal Stone. It isn't safe in London anymore, just like Jonny and…Jessie aren't safe either. I think though, that Jessie is just a decoy to throw you off."

"What do you mean?" asked Race stopping mid-stride to glance over at his lover.

"Dr. Quest is a very important man. He has many enemies wishing for his demise. Jonny is heir to all that Dr. Quest is and has. By killing Jonny, or using him for the Immortal Stone, that would be a direct blow towards Dr. Quest himself. But they're targeting Jessie as well simply to make it seem as though any of your kids could be used for the stone."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Race, I know you have your own enemies, but honestly now, do you think they're smart enough to go after the Immortal Stone? And to target your own flesh and blood—honey, they'd have to be insane to invoke your wrath," finished Jade smoothly. Race nodded slowly, his eyes studying the woman before him suspiciously. In his mind Estella's words were repeating themselves over and over again about Jade.

A car pulling into the driveway interrupted his train of thoughts, however. Race looked over cautiously as Jonny hopped out of the car with Benton. Behind their car was another one with two agents in it.

"Where's Jessie?" demanded Jonny anxiously.

"She hasn't arrived yet," answered Race with a weary sigh. Jonny frowned and pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket. He flipped it open and punched in a phone number, bringing it up to his ear upon hitting send. The phone began to ring just as Grace pulled into the driveway with Jessie in the passenger seat. Jonny hung up the phone and watched wordlessly as Race rushed over to the car and pulled Jessie into his arms.

"Dad, I'm fine," said Jessie struggling to breathe despite her father's tight grip around her arms.

"Are you hurt? Is this blood? Should I call an ambulance? Ponchita, tell me something." Race took a step back as he inspected Jessie for any telltale signs of cuts or bruising.

"You mean other than the fact that I'm swearing off all men? Dad, I'm fine. I promise. The date was a total disaster…but at least there was some entertainment involved. It's not every day that I get to destroy a restaurant."

"This is why you shouldn't date," pointed out Race. Jessie rolled her eyes and moved towards the house. She passed Jonny without a word.

Grace sighed. "She's upset because Brad had a hard time dealing with the fact that a girl had to protect him."

"I could've told her he was a wimp," muttered Jonny. With a shake of his head the blonde teen turned towards the house and disappeared inside, passing Jade without seeing her.

Taking the stairs two at a time Jonny came across Jessie barely reaching her room. He reached out a hand to turn her around to face him, pulling her into his arms. Jessie was silent as Jonny pressed his lips to her forehead and running a hand through her hair.

"I'm fine, hotshot," murmured Jessie softly as she slowly wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm just double checking," whispered Jonny as he pressed his forehead against hers and bringing a hand up to her face. "I was scared. I thought they'd get you before I could tell you I was sorry."

Jessie gave Jonny a tiny smile. Jonny ran a thumb across her cheek gently, his face growing closer to hers, until he felt her lips beneath his own. The kiss was soft and short, but before they fully broke apart Jonny brought his lips down on hers again, deepening the next kiss. Jessie's eyes fluttered open from their closed position upon realizing what was happening. In a moment of clarity she shoved Jonny away, both of them breathing heavily.

"What are you thinking?" she hissed.

"I…well, I…sor-sorry," stammered Jonny nervously. "I just thought…well…"

Jessie groaned. "Jonny, I saw you and Jade last night. I…no. I can't…you….me…no, it can't happen. Your lips touched hers, and now you're kissing me? I'm not okay with that. You say you're sorry, but I know deep down you still trust her. I can't do this."

Jonny watched helplessly as Jessie turned around and entered her room, closing the door in his face. He was confused beyond all reason now. Jonny didn't know what he wanted anymore.

**A/N—Another chapter, hopefully a satisfying one. Anyway, the next two chapters are my personal favorites, so I'll try and get them up on the weekend. Thanks for all the great reviews so far!**


	8. Break In, Break Out

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Chapter 8-Break In, Break Out**

A cool breeze blew by, making both Jonny and Jessie more alert from their positions on top of the museum. They had been perched on the roof for four hours now, neither speaking to the other. Down below they could hear a pair of drunken men singing on the top of their lungs in Spanish, as well as a car honking its horn to avoid the drunkards.

Jessie allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she listened to the song, mouthing the words to herself. This was one of the things she loved about Mexico City—it was lively. Beside her Jonny was running a hand through his hair, cursing his luck. Of all the people to get partnered with for this evening's stake out, it had to be the one person who hadn't spoken a single word to him in over a week.

After the disastrous kiss Jonny and Jessie had learned that the stone was being moved from London to Mexico City…and that someone was looking to steal it after the grand display opened in the new museum. The information had come from Jade, of course, but the C.I.A. was inclined to believe it considering the fact that Surd's underling, Lorenzo, was now in Mexico.

Stretching, Jessie glanced through the skylight of the museum, down at the case holding the Immortal Stone. "Jonny," she hissed suddenly, "I think he's finally striking!"

Jonny glanced to where Jessie was pointing and grinned. Sure enough Lorenzo was inside the museum, lifting the lid of the case off. "Is he stupid or what? What makes him think he can pick up the damn thing and get out in one piece?"

"Well, considering he managed to not set off any alarms, I'd say he probably thinks he has a good chance of getting out of here alive. Come on, let's crash his little party so I can go back to the hotel and get some sleep."

"Let me inform Race and Corbin first." Jonny grabbed his walky-talky, pressing down to speak. "Hey guys, Lorenzo's already in the museum. Jess and I are gonna rain on his parade—so meet us inside."

Jonny tossed the walky-talky aside as Jessie opened the sky light and secured a long rope around the metal frame. Positioning herself precariously on the edge of the skylight Jessie slowly began to lower the rope and herself through the roof window. Within seconds she was on the ground, directly behind Lorenzo who was busy inspecting the stone. His face was beaded with sweat, his sole attention on the gem in front of win. Jessie stifled a giggle and motioned for Jonny to join her.

As Jonny climbed down the rope, Jessie reached over and tapped Lorenzo on the shoulder. The man froze, jumped, and then turned around, his eyes wide in fear. Jessie winked and brought her fist into his face, knocking him out cold.

"You gotta love when they fall like that," murmured Jonny with a shake of his head as he bent over the unconscious man.

Jessie shrugged. "It does wonders for my ego."

"Freeze!" The shout caught Jessie and Jonny's attention to the opening of the display room. The C.I.A. agent lowered his gun upon seeing the two teens standing over Lorenzo. "Man, you ever think about joining the team one day?" he asked.

"It's a possibility," replied Jessie with a grin. "But I'm not sure I want to spend all my time making sure you boys don't screw up. It gets old after a while."

"Gee," remarked Jonny, "no need to be modest here."

"Good job, Ponchita. You knocked him down just like I taught you," said Race with a proud look on his face. Jessie rolled her eyes at the remark.

Meanwhile, Jonny pulled a piece of paper out of the man's pocket and chuckled. "Hey, it looks like Lorenzo was a little nervous about this gig—he has directions on how to get to the museum from his hotel. Talk about a loser."

Corbin entered the room and quickly took the paper out of Jonny's hands. "We better take a look at his room and see if there's anything important lying around."

"We should probably check back into the hotel," agreed Race. "It's been a long night just hanging around here all evening. I don't know how the man got in man, but I'd rather get some shut eye and think about it tomorrow."

Jessie snorted. "Twenty bucks says the guy hotwired the alarm system."

Jonny shook his head. "I think he just hid out until closing time, and was waiting until the streets were quieter. He's probably been here the whole time."

"Well, whatever he did, we won't find out about it now—the guy ain't talkin' 'til tomorrow." Race placed a hand on Jonny and Jessie's shoulders, leading them towards the exit. "Now let's go get some sleep."

**The Next Day**

Jessie was awake bright and early the next morning despite only getting four hours of sleep. She was on a mission. Her eyes narrowed as Jade entered the dining room of the hotel, followed by Race, but she quickly turned her attention back to her plate of fruit. Behind Race and Jade came Jonny, who was glaring at Race's back. Hadji, Benton, and Grace were already seated at the table with Jessie.

"So what are the plans for today?" asked Jonny as he took a seat beside Hadji.

Race chuckled. "Whatever you kids want to do. The two fine doctors are going to be working on the stone…I'm gonna be interrogating Lorenzo…and Jade is going sightseeing."

"I'm all for relaxing in the comfort of my room," said Jessie quickly. "It's too hot outside—I'll hang by the pool later. I need to call mom and catch up with her anyway."

"I wouldn't mind seeing the sights," murmured Jonny glancing over at Jade with a bashful smile. "If it's alright with Jade."

"I would be honored," replied Jade with a bright grin. Jessie rolled her eyes.

Hadji cleared his throat. "I think I shall stay behind as well. I do not feel up to traversing this magnificent city today…perhaps tomorrow."

Benton nodded in agreement. "Well, then I guess that settles it. Jonny, Jessie—be on the lookout for suspicious characters. Surd and Rage probably have men following both of you."

"We'll be fine, dad," remarked Jonny.

**An Hour Later**

**The Hotel**

Jessie glanced up and down the hallway carefully, breathing in relief when she found it empty. She quickly slipped out of her room and walked over to the door directly across from her. She looked around once more as she inserted a pick into the lock.

"Buenísimo," she murmured to herself as the door clicked open. Jessie stepped into the room, shutting the door softly behind her before locking it. Treading on the carpet carefully, Jessie walked over to the closet and pulled it open. Inside was Jade's suitcase. Jessie pulled out the black bag and swiftly rifled through its many pockets. She frowned upon finding nothing out of the ordinary. After replacing the suitcase in the closet, Jessie made her way over to the dresser and pulled drawer after drawer open. Still, she found nothing.

"How many other places can that bitch hide things?" swore Jessie under her breath as she stopped in the middle of the room, placed her hands on her hips and took a quick survey of the room. Her eyes caught sight of the bedside table. Jessie went and sat on the side of the bed and pulled the drawer open. Inside was a bible. With a small grin Jessie picked up the bible and flipped through the pages. Moments later she found a piece of paper.

"Perfecto." Jessie put the bible back in the drawer and closed it before opening the piece of paper up. On the white sheet were a series of numbers that Jessie recognized as the security codes for the museum. "Maldita." Jessie stuffed the paper in her pants pocket and got to her feet—only to hear a key in the lock.

With wide eyes Jessie scrambled over to the sliding door, opened it, and slid outside onto the balcony. Jessie glanced over the balcony railing, cursing as the door to the room opened up.

Jade entered the room, and headed straight for the restroom. She washed her hands and dried them before entering the main part of her room. Her eyes shifted around expertly, taking note of the condition of her room. To the untrained eye it was neat and tidy, but Jade was a thief—and she could tell someone had been messing with her stuff. With a shake of her head Jade walked over to the sliding door and stepped out onto the balcony. Both sides were empty. She snorted and turned on her heel to leave. Yawning, the dark haired woman left the room.

As soon as Jessie heard the door shut she pulled herself back onto the balcony. Hanging off the bottom edge was not her favorite hideout…but it had prevented Jade from catching her. Jessie glanced around the room one last time before leaving. There was nothing to find in Jade's room.

Instead, Jessie slipped out of Jade's room and made her way down the hall and into the front lobby. She smiled winsomely at the desk clerk and waited for the man to give her his full attention.

"Buenos días, señorita," said the man.

"Buenos días, Señor. Yo necesito una lista de todos los números de teléfonos la señorita Jade llamó para su cuarto."

"Si, señorita, un momento." The man smiled back at Jessie and turned to his computer, quickly typing away as Jessie waited. Minutes later the printer could be heard whirring away. The man took the printed sheet and handed it to Jessie with another smile. "Estas son todos los números de teléfonos ella llamé."

"Gracias." Jessie took the paper and turned to go back upstairs. She took the steps two at a time, studying the paper in her hands. Gritting her teeth Jessie made her way over to a single door and pounded on it.

Hadji blinked in surprise as Jessie shoved a piece of paper in his hands and made her way into the room. "What is this?" he asked closing the door behind her. He glanced at the paper and frowned at seeing a list of telephone numbers.

"A list of numbers that Jade has called since being here," answered Jessie simply.

"Who do these numbers belong to?"

Jessie grinned as she plopped down on Hadji's bed and picked up the telephone. "That's what we're gonna find out. Gimme the paper." Jessie took the paper and quickly dialed in the first number on the list as Hadji took a seat on the other bed. He could sense his afternoon nap would be out of the question now.

**Meanwhile**

Jade watched with a plastered smile on her face as Jonny tried to negotiate a sale with an old Mexican man. They were bargaining over a bracelet. For Jessie. Jade had bit her tongue when Jonny had first lain eyes on the damn bracelet, because the first words out of his mouth had been how it would look great on Jessie.

The bracelet wasn't anything special. Just a simple gold chain with charms on it. A teddy bear, a moon, a car, a flower…the usual little charms one could find on such a bracelet. Personally, Jade thought it was a tacky bracelet…but because Jonny was buying it she could see Jessie accepting it without question.

By the time Jonny finally managed to buy the bracelet and stuff it in his pocket, Jade was boiling with anger inside. On the outside, however, she was sickly sweet. She cooed over the bracelet, telling Jonny how wonderful he was to think of his best friend despite the fact that she wasn't speaking to him, and peppering him with kisses as they walked on down the sidewalk arm in arm.

But Jade was pissed. Thoughts of killing Jessie swirled away in her mind along with thoughts of having Jonny watch before she turned around and killed him.

Jonny on the other hand was babbling away without really hearing himself. He was too busy trying to come up with a good excuse to catch Jessie alone and give her the bracelet—and get away with anything but a black eye.

But as Jade tightened her grip on his arm, Jonny felt all thoughts of Jessie flee his mind.

**Later**

Race rubbed his forehead wearily as he walked down the hotel hallway. He blinked in surprise at seeing Jessie seated in front of his door with a book in her hands. It looked as though she had been sitting there for a while.

"Hey Ponchita, what's up?" he asked as Jessie finally glanced up at him.

Jessie shrugged and got to her feet. "Just wanted to talk to you. How'd the interrogation go?"

"Lorenzo clammed up. He won't say a damn word." Race unlocked his door and entered with Jessie right behind him. He sank down onto the bed and watched as Jessie closed the door and then pulled two pieces of paper out of her pants pocket. "So whaddya want to talk about?"

"These." Jessie handed him the two papers and watched carefully as Race studied them.

"What about them?"

"Those phone numbers are ones Jade called. She called Lorenzo's room over at his hotel a lot, dad…and the other paper—that one has the security alarm system code for the museum where the stone is."

Race sighed and handed the papers back to Jessie. "Honey, I know you're going out of your way to find things linking Jade back to the bad guys, but I kind of expected it. Jade has shady connections. How else did she know about the museum break in?"

"Dad, that was when the stone was still in London!"

"She said Surd was getting ready to steal the stone, sweetie, she just wasn't sure where that would take place. So what if she was in contact with Lorenzo? That connection helped us nab him before he got away with the stone."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "He couldn't have touched the stone, daddy. The thing has its own security system. Only a virgin can touch it. Fine, Jade has shady connections, but what about the code?"

"All of us have the damn code written down, Jess. That way we could get in without setting off the alarm and talking with the fine Mexican police," replied Race. "You're trying too hard to incriminate her. Why can't you just ease off and try to get to know her, huh?"

"Dad, that woman is the spawn of the devil. I want nothing to do with her. And if you even _think _about marrying her, I will never speak to you again," growled Jessie tossing the papers to the ground.

"All I'm asking of you right now is to have dinner with me and Jade tonight…give her a chance. Get to know her—and try not to kill her, huh? She's an asset to the team."

"Asset my ass," grumbled Jessie scowling. "I'd rather jump off a cliff than have dinner with her."

"If you don't go to dinner you'll never see your license again."

"Fine, but remember I'm agreeing to this against my will." With that Jessie turned on her heels and strode out of the room, leaving Race behind to shake his head at her temper.

"Takes after her damn mother," he sighed.

**That Night**

"Hey, Hadj, you wanna go do somethin'?" asked Jonny turning to face his other best friend.

Hadji yawned. "I was looking forward to a much needed nap, my friend. Why don't you ask Jessie to hang out with you?"

"Well, one, she's still pissed at me, and two, she's having dinner with Race and Jade tonight."

"It seems everyone is having dinner tonight. Your father and Dr. Lin are also eating out this evening. Perhaps it is the atmosphere of the city. I for one am still recovering from jet lag."

"Dad's eating out with Grace? Why didn't he tell me?"

"Perhaps because he knew you would not approve." Hadji sat up and glanced over at the blonde teen. "Jonny, your father seems to care about Dr. Lin. Why must you protest their friendship?"

Jonny growled. "Because it ain't friendship she wants—she wants to date him, and no one dates my dad without my permission." Jonny got to his feet and strode out of the hotel room, leaving Hadji behind to shake his head in sorrow.

Half running, half walking, Jonny made his way to the hotel restaurant. He walked in and glanced around. The room was only half full. On one side he spotted Race, Jade, and Jessie. Jonny smiled appreciatively at seeing Jessie in a skirt, but quickly diverted his attention to search for his father. Within seconds Jonny had spotted Benton and Grace. The pair was dining at a small table on the other side of the restaurant.

Jonny ran a hand through his hair and headed over to his father and Grace. Without speaking Jonny pulled up a third chair and grinned as the couple blinked at him in surprise. "So what are we eating tonight? I'm starved."

Benton frowned. "I thought you were up with Hadji."

"He's still recovering from jet lag…and I think he's tired of hearing me and Jess complaining about each other, so he's probably trying to stay away from us on purpose. Ooh, the lobster sounds good. What are you guys eating?"

Grace chuckled. "Calamari."

"What?" Jonny looked up with a disgusted look on his face. "Man, that stuff reeks. Jessie likes it…I don't know why either."

"Son, Grace and I were kind of having a private dinner…" Benton trailed off as he locked eyes with Jonny.

"It's alright, Benton," said Grace quickly, "Jonny's more than welcome to join us. It'd be nice to get to know him some more."

"See dad, I _am _welcome." Jonny grinned at his father and settled back in his seat triumphantly.

Grace nodded. "So, Jonny, why don't you tell me about your self? I hardly know you."

"What's to know? I'm practically eighteen and in college. I spend a lot of my time in detention. I'm bad with girls—Jessie hates my guts at the moment. My best friend runs his own country…I have a dog, who's too old to travel anymore. All in all, I'm not much of a great guy. I take after my dad. You'll be glad to get rid of us soon, believe me." Jonny grabbed a glass of water off the tray of a passing waiter and raised it to Grace before slurping it down. Benton closed his eyes with a shake of his head while Grace frowned. This wasn't one of Jonny's finer moments, and all three knew it.

On the other side of the restaurant Jessie was poking at her food with her fork, duly ignoring her father and Jade sitting directly across from her in the booth. Jade was being extra attentive to Race and Jessie was about ready to scream. Jessie glanced up as Jade giggled. Race was on his feet, taking his cell phone out of his pocket. Apparently it had buzzed.

"If you fine ladies will excuse me, I have to take this." Race smiled brightly before disappearing out of the restaurant, the phone at his ear.

Jade's smile fell the moment Race wasn't looking, and she turned to glower at the red headed teen in front of her. "Listen up, you little brat, I know you were in my room today, and it would be in your best interests to leave me the hell alone. You don't know who you're messing with!"

"Neither do you, lady. I will do whatever it takes to protect my father and Jonny from the likes of you. Hurt them and you'll wish you had never been born," shot back Jessie in a low whisper.

"I'm not afraid of you kid, you're nothing but an angry teenage girl. You don't stand a chance against me."

"I'm gonna expose you for what you really are, Jade, just you wait and see. You won't even know what hit you!"

The two women glared at one another, breaking eye contact as Race returned. The older man eyed Jade suspiciously as he slid back into his seat beside her, casting a concerned glance at his daughter, but Jessie was back to stabbing her plate.

"Who was on the phone?" asked Jade sweetly.

Race smiled brightly, shaking the unease out of his mind. "Just Corbin—he didn't have much to say. Just wanted to inform me the…hotel is under tight scrutiny," lied Race. Jade nodded along and turned her attention back to her own plate, ignoring the dark looks Jessie gave her.

With a small breath Race picked up his fork and stared down at his own dinner. He didn't have the heart to eat anymore…not after what Corbin had confirmed. But Race had to put up a front so no one would be any wiser. Such was life in the C.I.A.

**A/N—I know, I know, it's been a long while since I've updated, and I apologize. I didn't plan on taking so long…summer's coming, along with finals next week and I've been busy beyond reason. I'm already working on the next chapter.**


	9. Temper Tantrum

**Disclaimer: Still not mine, that much should be obvious at this point.**

**Chapter 9-Temper Tantrum**

"So, Jess, what are you gonna do today?" asked Jonny as he followed Jessie downstairs towards the hotel restaurant.

"You mean besides avoid you and Jade? I haven't quite decided yet," replied Jessie curtly.

Jonny sighed. "I take it you're still mad at me?"

"Mad is an understatement, Jonny. I'm moving on to loathing, and quite possibly could hate you by the end of the day."

"Alrighty then, I guess I won't ask you to go boating with me at the beach later, huh?"

"Do you have any clue how far away the beach is?"

"Not really," admitted Jonny, "but we're all headed to the beach for the day…aren't you going too?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "More than likely, hotshot, if everyone else is going then yeah, I'm gonna get sucked onto that trip too."

"Gee, don't sound so excited. I thought you liked hanging out with your dad."

"Not when he's playing kissy face with the evil bitch of the west…oh wait, or is that you playing kissy face with her? It's kinda hard to keep track these days," muttered Jessie. Jonny scowled but shut his mouth as they took their seats. Everyone else was already there. Jonny made a face as he caught sight of his dad and Grace in deep concentration.

"Y'all ready to go to the beach today?" questioned Race glancing down at his daughter and Jonny. The blonde nodded as Jessie slumped in her seat. "Ponchita, I need to talk to you for a sec."

"If it's about your crazy girlfriend," stated Jessie, "I'm not interested."

"Walk with me." Race didn't leave room for question as he grabbed Jessie by the arm and pulled her out into the lobby.

"What? Obviously it's about Jade…so spill it. Do you want me to be nicer to her? 'Cause if that's what it is I'm gonna have to take a rain check and ask for a ticket to South America…that's the only way I'll be able to live with my sanity in check."

"I need you to keep an eye on Jonny today, you got me?"

"What for? He's a big boy; he can take care of himself."

Race sighed. "Jess, Corbin…Corbin thinks you might be right about Jade."

Jessie's face brightened. "I'm beginning to build respect for the guy…maybe I will join the C.I.A."

"Very funny, now I need you to do me a favor and keep them in your line of sight, got it? We're not certain that Jade is up to something involving Jonny, but it's better to be safe than sorry. You gonna do me this one little favor?"

"You gonna give me a gun to blow Jade away?"

"Not a chance."

"Fine, I'll do it, but it would be ten times more fun if I had a gun."

"Jess, your mother would kill me if I let you have a gun. She's already gonna be gloating if it turns out Jade really isn't working with us," replied Race with a stern look on his face. Jessie rolled her eyes as she followed her father back into the restaurant.

Jonny glanced up at Jessie curiously. "What did Race want?"

"Just wants me to be nice to little miss fuckit over there," murmured Jessie airily. Race choked on a gulp of water, glaring at his daughter as Jade's eyes narrowed.

Benton cleared his throat. "Um, Hadji, did you want still want to look at the stone with Grace and me, or did you want to go to the beach with the others?"

"I think I would like to look at the stone one last time. I had a strange dream about it last night, and my conscious will not be clear until I can look at the stone with my own eyes," answered Hadji with a sharp nod. "It is a feeling I have regarding it. I feel as though the winds have changed."

"You sure you didn't eat somethin' funny last night?" teased Jonny. Jessie made a face and hit Jonny in the back of the head. Jonny glanced at her, but kept silent as she glared at him. It seemed jokes were not the order of the day today.

**The Museum**

Hadji stood on the outskirts of the display room, studying the case of the stone from a distance. He was afraid to walk over to it. He was afraid his dreams would be confirmed. Taking a deep breath, Hadji made him self edge closer to the display case. Soon enough he was directly in front of it, staring down at the red gem.

Beginning to relax, Hadji chuckled to himself. "It is there. I do not know what I was so worried about. The stone is still here. Perhaps I have not gotten enough sleep."

He was about to turn and walk away when he noticed something peculiar about the gem. Hadji turned to face the gem, his face set in a deep frown. The gem seemed…dull. He thought back to the day he had first laid eyes on the Immortal Stone. It had sparkled, and there had been a feeling about it that pulled at Hadji's very soul. Looking at the gem now, however, Hadji realized that he didn't feel that way about it now.

"Oh no," murmured Hadji leaning closer to the case. "This is not the Immortal Stone."

His eyes widened at the realization and he turned to leave the room in a hurry. Hadji had to find Dr. Quest and Dr. Lin to confirm his deepest suspicions. If the stone was missing then trouble was already afoot.

**Later On**

Grace shook her head, her forehead creased with worry lines. "I don't understand. How the hell could someone snatch the stone from under our noses? The damn thing is its own shield."

"Unless the thief had gloves or some other way to carry it without touching it, it's very easy to walk out of here with the stone," replied Benton running a hand through his hair. "My question is who the hell took it? The damn thing has been under tight security since we found it. Only a master thief—"

Hadji spoke the one name the group was thinking. "Jade. She has been with us since we first found the stone. Who can say for certain how long it has been missing. I have only noticed it now because it is the first time that I have come to study it without Jonny and Jessie arguing in my ears."

"But Jade is no—she's not a—what use can she possibly gain from stealing the Immortal Stone?" asked Grace with genuine concern.

Benton sighed. "She must be working closer with the enemy than she's let on. Oh God, Jonny and Jessie! She's with them right now! Race! We've got to get a hold of Race and let him know what's going on!"

**The Beach**

Jessie was gritting her teeth as she followed along behind Race, Jade, and Jonny. The long trip to the beach had been pure hell for the red headed girl. Every word that came out of Jade's mouth had made Jessie want to punch the woman.

Now the group was making their way across the sandy beach. Jessie let out a small yawn, her eyes scanning the area around her as she tugged at her shorts and double checked that her bikini top looked alright. Any chance to flirt with local boys would raise her spirits. Jessie felt her heart skip a beat though upon catching sight of Julia—Surd's paramour.

"You guys go ahead, I'm gonna run to the bathroom," said Jessie. She disappeared into the crowd, not bothering to wait for a reply.

Race made a face as he looked around for his daughter. "Where the hell is she going? The bathrooms are right here."

Jonny glanced to where Race was pointing and shrugged. He wasn't on Jessie's good side anymore, so he didn't have a clue how her mind was working. Race grumbled under his breath but continued walking on the beach with Jade on his arm. Jonny cast a long glance back towards where Jessie had vanished before turning to follow Race and Jade.

In the meantime, Jessie was moving swiftly through the crowds in search of the blonde woman she had seen. If anyone had answers to Jade's loyalty, it would be Julia. Fortunately for Jessie Julia had decided to take a short cut through a narrow alley.

Jessie picked up her pace and grabbed Julia by the arm, flipping her onto her back and pressing her knee into the blonde woman's ribcage. "Hi Julia, remember me? I just want some answers—and you're gonna give them to me or I'm gonna make you _very _sorry you ever came to Mexico. Comprende?"

Julia glared back at Jessie with hate filled eyes, but quickly nodded in agreement as Jessie dug her knee deeper into the woman's ribs. "What do you want to know?" wheezed out Julia hoarsely.

"Everything possible about your little friend Jade."

"She's under orders from Surd to steal the Immortal Stone and kidnap Jonny Quest. They're going to use him to unlock the powers of the stone."

"When?"

Julia hissed in pain as Jessie put all her weight into the woman's abdomen. "Today. She already has the stone!"

"Fuck." Jessie was off like a bullet, leaving Julia on the ground, gasping for breath.

Struggling to her feet Julia pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey, she's on the prowl. Yeah, she bought everything. Got it." Hanging up the phone, Julia placed a hand on a nearby wall to steady herself. Everything was going according to plan.

At the same time that Julia was getting drilled by Jessie, Race was answering his own phone. "Hello? Benton? What? Wait, I can't hear you, hold on a sec." Race turned to Jonny and Jade with a pained expression. "I'll be right back; I've got to take this."

Jade nodded in sympathy. "We'll be renting a boat, okay, baby?"

Race nodded absently and turned his back on the pair, plugging his other ear with a finger as he tried to listen to Benton's fast paced words. "Whoa, slow down, buddy. Now start from the beginning. What did Hadji not see?"

Jade tugged on Jonny's hand and the two began to jog over to the docks where a couple of yachts were tied up. She conversed with a man sitting atop one, and smiled sweetly as the man scrambled out of the boat, handing her the keys. "Come on," she said to Jonny. "Let's take a ride—just the two of us."

Jonny nodded dumbly, taken in by her smile and bikini top. They boarded the boat and Jonny helped untie the yacht from the pier. Minutes later they were driving out of the harbor. As soon as they were miles from the beach Jade turned to Jonny with a smile on her face.

"You know, it's ironic how life works."

"Whaddya mean?" asked Jonny.

"Well, Race is infatuated with me, Jessie is infatuated with you, you're infatuated with both me and Jessie…and in the end, Jessie has always been right about me."

"Huh?" Jonny glanced up in confusion, trying to get over the fact that Jade thought he and Jessie were infatuated with each other.

"I'm not a good girl, Jonny," murmured Jade. "I'm the enemy. You should never have trusted me." With those words Jade gave a powerful roundhouse kick, knocking Jonny squarely in the head and out cold.

Jessie was breathing raggedly by the time she found Race who was still trying to make sense of Benton's words. "Benton, put someone else on—I haven't gotten the last fifty words you've said!"

"Dad! Where's Jonny?" demanded Jessie tugging at her father's arm to gain his attention.

"Not now, sweetie, Grace is getting on the phone."

"Dad, I just talked to Julia—you know, Surd's Julia? She said that Jade has stolen the Immortal Stone and that she's gonna kidnap Jonny!"

"Whaddya mean Jade has the stone? That's impossible—she and Jonny are waiting at the docks as we speak—" Race's eyes widened as he listened to Grace on the other end of the phone. "What? The stone is missing?"

Jessie was already running towards the docks, searching for Jonny. Minutes later Race joined her. "Corbin's on the way," murmured Race running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I let them go off together. Anyone here know where they went?"

"I think this guy might," stated Jessie as a man came walking down the dock whistling away. Race grimaced and grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt.

"Hey buddy, you see a pretty woman come by with a boy with blonde hair?"

The man's eyes widened. "Uh, sure, they just rented my boat. Promised me two grand if I let 'em go without me. Oh no, they ain't gonna jip me, are they?"

"Not if I can help it," muttered Jessie. "What's the name of your boat?"

"_La Sirenita._"

Race groaned as he glanced around the docks. "Is there anyone else here with keys so we can borrow a boat?"

The man shook his head. "They usually don't come 'til later in the day."

"Shit!" Race let go of the man and turned to Jessie pointing at the beach behind her. "Alright Ponchita, you see that Jet Ski over there, I'm gonna take it out and look for Jonny."

Jessie shook her head. "No way, I will. Jade's smart—she'll have the boat she took hotwired by now to blow if she catches you. Besides, I hate her; I have a much better chance of not being taken in by some sob story she cooks up. Hijack one of those speed boats over there, and come after us with Corbin and some guns. I'll be alright, daddy. You taught me well."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Race took a deep breath and nodded as he led Jessie over to the Jet Ski sitting on the beach. He helped Jessie onto the small vessel, nodding in approval as she slipped on the bright orange life vest.

"Hey!" called out a man walking up to the two. "That's my Jet Ski! You can't take that!"

"Wanna bet?" said Race turning around and punching the man in the eye. "Official business, bucko, if you've got a problem you're more than welcome to take it up with my superior when he gets here." Turning back to Jessie, Race began to offer up some pointers as he pushed the Jet Ski into deeper water. "Now remember, don't let down your guard—and don't do anything Jonny would do, huh?"

"You can count on me." Jessie grinned at her father and started up the Jet Ski.

**_La Sirenita_**

Jonny glanced around warily as his eyes flickered open. He groaned and tried to move, but not only was his head swimming, his arms were tied to a chair. "Shit, I really walked into this one," muttered the teen to himself.

Jade chuckled as she entered the small cabin. "You did. It's amazing really. You're father is one of the smartest men on the planet—and you didn't get any of his brains."

"Lemme guess, you're gonna hand me over to Surd and use me for the Immortal thingamigummy, aren't ya?"

"Something like that."

"What are you gonna get out of it?" demanded Jonny.

"Immortality. Part of it anyway."

"You're crazy."

Jade shrugged. "Too bad you found out a little too late."

"I shoulda let Jessie maul you the other day. She's had the right idea about you all along."

At that Jade's face darkened, diminishing her beauty. "That brat is a thorn in my side. She's gonna pay for crossing my path—I don't show mercy."

"Yeah, well you're in luck," murmured Jonny. "I don't think Jessie shows mercy either."

Meanwhile, Jessie cut the motor of the Jet Ski, letting it float in the water as she came across the stolen yacht. Taking a deep breath, Jessie pushed against the hull of the yacht so as not to let the Jet Skit bump against it. She gripped the metal ladder rungs and slowly began to edge herself up the ladder after securing her Jet Ski to the bottom rung. Jessie peeked over the railing of the yacht, and silently slipped on board seeing that the coast was clear. Her ears perked at the sound of murmured voices. Peering through one of the cabin windows, Jessie rolled her eyes at seeing Jonny unconscious. She glanced around the yacht deck studiously, before laying eyes on the roof of the cabin.

Jade was still ranting about Jessie when she suddenly fell silent. "Did you hear that?" she asked of Jonny.

Jonny snorted derisively. "Hear what? Your voice? I'm sure everyone and their mother could hear it. So you hate Jessie, I think I get it now."

Jade was at the doorway of the cabin, but after hearing the tone of Jonny's voice she turned to face the blonde with an angry glint in her eyes. "I'm about ready to feed you to the sharks, Quest, if you don't shut your fucking—"

Her sentence was never finished as she was sent headfirst to the floor as Jessie swung herself through the door feet first from the roof of the cabin. "Oh, I'm sorry," said Jessie bringing a hand up to her mouth. "Was I interrupting something?"

"Only your death!" snarled Jade scrambling back onto her feet.

"Well in that case don't let_ me_ stop you."

Jade let out a sharp cry as she lunged at Jessie. The red head met the lunge with an upward thrust of her palm into Jade's chin, knocking the older woman's teeth together. Jade grabbed Jessie's neck just as Jessie turned around and flipped Jade over her shoulders, but Jade quickly used the momentum to bring Jessie crashing to the ground after her.

Jessie cursed as she hit the deck outside of the cabin, rolling in time to avoid Jade's next attack with her feet. Jumping to her feet, Jessie was pushed against the railing of the ship as Jade tried to make another mad grab for the red head's neck.

"Wrong move, lady!" hissed Jessie. With a low growl Jessie rammed her shoulder into Jade's chest, driving the woman backwards to the other side of the ship. Winded, Jade made a feeble struggle as Jessie knocked her over the railing and into the ocean below. Jessie gazed down at the water below breathing heavily as Jade didn't resurface. Feeling the first amount of relief in a long time, Jessie headed back inside the cabin where Jonny was untying his ropes with a knife Jade had left on the cabin table.

"You were right," he said simply.

"'Course I was," replied Jessie as she helped Jonny undo his wrist bonds. "Are you okay?"

"Well my ego's a little bruised. A chick knocked me out and tied me up. On any other occasion that would be hot…but not so much anymore."

Jessie felt a smile tug at her lips as Jonny chuckled at his own words. Things were going to be okay between them. Reaching for her shoulder, Jonny pulled Jessie into a tight hug, squeezing her to reassure himself that they were both fine. "How 'bout you? Are you okay?"

"Hotshot, I just got rid of the wicked witch of the west—I'm doing great," murmured Jessie. Jonny nodded and pulled far enough away to study Jessie's face.

He brought both his hands to cup her face, whispering, "Jess, I'm sorry. I screwed up."

"You're a guy. All guys screw up."

Jonny didn't answer right away. His head lowered towards Jessie's, his lips almost on hers when the sound of a motor brought them back to attention. Jessie was out of the cabin first with Jonny right behind her. Together they watched as Jade rode off on the Jet Ski.

"Dammit! Is she a roach or something? Why can't she die?" grumbled Jessie making a face.

"Well, we still have the yacht," pointed out Jonny. "I'm sure you can figure out how to drive this thing, don't you?"

Jessie made a face but followed Jonny over to the wheel of the ship. They both stopped in their tracks however at the sound of a ticking noise. Dropping to her knees Jessie peered under the control panel where the sound was coming from. A time bomb stared right back at her.

"Oh shit. Off the boat!"

"Huh?"

"It's gonna blow, Hotshot!" Jessie grabbed Jonny's hand and pulled him down the deck towards the back of the boat. They scrambled over the railing and dived into the water just as the yacht exploded.

Underwater, Jessie and Jonny were sent through the water with the impact of the explosion. Jonny grabbed Jessie around the waist and pulled her to the surface, both teens gasping for air as they began to tread water.

"I'm gonna kill her!" seethed Jessie coughing some water out of her lungs.

"Gotcha." Jonny kept a grip on Jessie and looked around the surface as the sound of a motor could be heard coming their way. The approaching vessel was a speed boat.

"I knew the good fish would be out this way," joked Race as he and Corbin appeared at the railing of the speed boat as it pulled up beside the two teens.

"Very funny, dad," said Jessie. "Now get us outta here before the sharks come out to play."

**A/N: Another chapter…this is one of my favorite ones, so I hope it turned out alright. Enjoy!**


	10. Square One

**Disclaimer: Does not belong to me etc.**

**Chapter 10-Square One**

"I can't believe it. The biggest find in over a decade and now it's gone." Estella shook her head, letting out a discouraged sigh as she stood up from studying the fake gem. "Jade sure did her research before taking the damn thing. This one _looks _just like the real thing."

Grace nodded in agreement. "Of course, I'm curious to know how the hell she got the stone out from under our eyes without burning herself."

"I don't think it matters too much at this point _how_ she got it out," said Benton, "but _where_ it is now. Jade's long gone—god only knows where she made off to."

"Hell—where she belongs," muttered Estella darkly.

"I hardly think that's likely, Estella." Benton rolled his eyes. It was times like these he could see the similarities between Jessie and her mother.

"Well that's where she should be…but _some_one didn't want to give Jessie a gun." Estella shot Race an accusing look, making the white haired man throw up his hands in the air.

"You threatened to kill me if I ever let Jessie touch another weapon again—I thought I'd be doing us all of favor from attending a court session after Jessie got charged with first degree murder!"

"Oh like you couldn't just cover it up? What the hell did they teach you in the C.I.A.?"

Grace chuckled in amusement. "I would think that all that mattered is the fact that Jessie is perfectly fine—as well as Jonny. Jade may be gone now…but I'm sure she'll pop again eventually. She has to if she's working for Surd, Rage, and the Zins. I have a feeling they won't give up their own personal vendettas against Benton and Race. Now we simply have more work to do. We _have _to find that stone again and lock it up for good. It's a danger so long as it contains its powers of immortality."

Benton nodded in agreement, glancing back and forth between Race and Estella. "Grace is right. As of now, we're back at square one."

**Elsewhere**

"What do you mean you don't have the stone?" demanded Dr. Zin angrily as he pounded a fist on his desk. Jade flinched at the sound. "I was assured that you were the best thief for the job!"

Jade sniffed disdainfully. "Oh get over it. I know exactly where the damn gem is."

"I don't care where it is! I was promised that gem—and it isn't here! I want it immediately!"

"Look, I was all set on handing the fuckin' thing over to you as soon as I nabbed the Quest boy. It wasn't my fault the damn red head got in the way!"

Melana snorted. "You mean she kicked your ass and made you look like a fool. Apparently you underestimated the Quest team. They are not as simple as they seem. Like wine, they have aged—only for the better."

Dr. Zin got to his feet, crossing his hands behind his back as he turned to look out his office window. His next words were directed solely towards Jade. "Your mission was to grab the stone, dispose of the Quest boy, and kidnap the Bannon girl. The entire plan was botched by you…it seems you have let your emotions get the best of you. Rather than kill the boy and take the girl, you kidnapped the boy—fully intent on killing the girl. That was not part of the mission, Jade. If you cannot get your priorities straight, perhaps it would be in my best interests to find another master thief to do my dirty work."

By now Jade's face seemed made of stone, only her eyes smoldered with anger. "The mission was clear, Doctor. I made a small lapse of judgment…it won't happen again. I will retrieve the gem, kill the boy, and get the girl. Your plans will press forward as you wish."

"Good. So, where is the gem now?"

Jade smirked. "Sitting in the suitcase of one Jessica Bannon."

Zin nodded slowly, not glancing over at the dark haired thief. "See to it that you do not screw up this time…or it will cost you your life."

"Of course." Jade turned on her heel and strode out of the room, fuming at the reprimand. Under her breath she muttered, "I'll get the gem alright…but if the damn girl gets in my way one more time, I won't be held responsible for her death. Zin is just gonna have to deal with using Jonny instead of Jessie…because I have _no _intention of letting her slip out of my hands alive."

"Jade!"

Jade glanced up, frowning as Julia appeared further down the hallway. "What?"

"Jeremiah would like a word with you."

Grumbling under her breath, Jade turned to follow Julia into another room where Surd was seated in his wheelchair. "You wanted to see me?" murmured the dark haired woman carefully.

Surd nodded. "I heard you screwed up your mission. I hope you aren't losing your touch, Jade. I'm paying you good money to complete the job."

"My touch is fine, thank-you very much. I just had an off moment. I was caught by surprise. Jonny and Jessie work too well together. He distracted me and she attacked. It won't happen again."

"I hope not. Time will run out once Benton discovers that the real stone is missing. Time is of the essence, Jade."

Jade nodded. "Don't worry, Surd. Time is no match for me."

**Rockport**

**Quest Compound**

"I said I was sorry, didn't I? Come on, Estella, it wasn't like I _knowingly _endangered our daughter's life—it was Jonny that Jade was after!" protested Race as he followed his ex-wife inside the house. He was lugging both his and Estella's luggage trying to make up with her for not listening to her concerns about Jade in the first place.

"Fine then—you _knowingly _endangered Jonny's life. What kind of a parent are you if you can't protect the boy you've been helping to protect for the last fifteen years?" retorted Estella hotly.

Behind them Jonny and Jessie were doing their best to stifle their laughter. Race and Estella had been going on like this since they had left Mexico early that day. Even Hadji had been hard pressed to keep a smile off his face during the plane ride home.

Benton rolled his eyes. "Alright you two, do I need to separate you and put you both in time out? You're starting to remind me of the good old days when I had to do that with Jonny and Jessie every time they got into a shouting match."

"We weren't _that_ bad," protested Jonny with a frown on his face.

"I thought you kept giving us time out for chasing Mrs. Evans up and down the stairs with a fake spider," murmured Jessie creasing her forehead in thought.

"And you wonder why she prefers my own self to that of yours," said Hadji.

"There he goes again," grumbled Jonny, "making jokes. I'm starting to think that the real Hadji was abducted by aliens."

Jessie snorted. "Are you sure it wasn't your brain that was abducted by aliens, hotshot? Hadji's finally getting a life—remember how we used to encourage that once upon a time? Now he isn't the stuffy ol' beanpole he used to be."

"I thought we called your dad the stuffy old beanpole."

"Then what did we call Hadji?"

"I think we called him an old windbag."

"Naw, I don't think that's right…we called _your _dad the old windbag. Wait, didn't we call Hadji a snake charmer?"

Jonny grinned. "Now that you mention it, yeah, I think we did call him a snake charmer."

"A snake charmer?" repeated Grace curiously.

Jessie chuckled as she answered. "We only called him that 'cause he could pull pranks with me and Jonny and never get in trouble for it. He had everyone in the house wrapped around his little finger simply 'cause he could talk in riddles all the time."

"I never pulled a prank in my life," murmured Hadji with a slight shake of his head.

"Oh please, Hadj," replied Jonny, "remember when Jessie first started wearing bras? You helped me hang them in the tree outside so the pizza delivery guy could see 'em when he delivered our pizza. Boy, those were some good times."

"I knew it!" cried out Jessie turning to face both Jonny and Hadji accusingly. "You are both dead!"

In a flash all three teens were gone—the only leads to their sudden whereabouts were the rumble of footsteps leading up the staircase.

"Did we ever ground someone for that particular incident?" asked Benton.

"Beats me…I'm still trying to remember exactly when that happened. I don't remember it happening," said Race with a shrug.

"What kind of father are you?" questioned Estella placing her hands on her hips.

Grace smiled. "Apparently he's one of those absent minded ones."

**That Evening**

Jonny looked up upon hearing a knock on his door. "Come in," he called out.

Benton opened the door and stepped inside, making his way over the bed to take a seat. Jonny closed the window on his computer to turn in his chair and face his father. The look on Benton's face was serious.

"What's up?" asked Jonny curiously.

"I feel like we haven't really had any time to talk since yesterday. You gave me quite a scare, did you know that?"

"Ehh…I'm fine now. It's not that big of a deal."

"Uh-huh. I think it was a pretty big deal. If we hadn't discovered the fact that the stone had been stolen I never would have called Race and you would never have gone off with Jade…or would you have?"

"Huh?"

Benton sighed. "Jonny, Race is under the impression from Jessie that there was something going on between you and Jade beneath our noses. I'm not going to lecture you if there was. You're old enough now to be making your own decisions…but I just want you to try and think with your brain…and not the rest of your body when it comes to someone like Jade. She's a very beautiful woman. And women like that know they can use their looks to get anything they want."

Jonny squirmed in his seat. The conversation was a little embarrassing to be having with his father. "I know…I…it was a mistake. I know that now. It was a stupid thing for me to do, believing every word that came out of her mouth. I couldn't help it though, you know? She…she seemed so nice and good on the outside. But on my behalf, dad, I wasn't the only one who couldn't see through Jade. I think the only ones who really did were Jessie and Estella."

"Yes, well, they would have every reason to see through her. Jade is a part of their family history…and we both know how protective Jessie can be with her father. Remember when he dated that French model last year? I clearly remember Jessie being against that from the beginning. It's a female thing, son. Women can pinpoint danger in the most minimal of circumstances."

"Yeah, I think I know that now. I probably won't be betting against Jessie any time soon when it comes to those kinds of things."

Chuckling, Benton shook his head in amusement. "I'm glad to see that you two have seemed to have worked things out. Do you mind me asking what was wrong?"

"I…I don't know really…it's complicated."

"I see." Benton became quiet, lost in his thoughts before speaking again. "You know, son, your mother was always better at giving out advice than me. She had a head for these things…but I remember her telling me that sometimes the most complicated things were quite possibly the clearest things to see."

"What? Are you sure mom said that? 'Cause it sounds more like something Hadji would say," replied Jonny scratching his head.

"What it means is that even though you can't see it now, the answer to your problem is always right in front of you, where you least expect to find it."

"That still doesn't make sense."

"Well, your mother was a wise woman, Jonny. I'm fairly sure you'll figure it out eventually. You're a lot like her—more than you will ever know."

Jonny nodded absently, hanging his head to study the carpet at his feet. The silence became comfortable. Finally, Jonny broke it with a whisper. "I miss her."

"So do I, son."

"Then why start dating again?"

"Because it's something your mother would have wanted me to do a long time ago." Benton reached out and squeezed his son on the shoulder as he got to his feet. "I'm always here if you need to talk, Jonny. Remember, you'll always come first in my life."

Jonny nodded once and watched as Benton left the room, closing the door behind him. The blonde teen let out a deep breath of air and glanced up at the ceiling, trying to mull over what Benton had claimed his mother had always said.

**One Room Over**

Jessie hummed to herself as she unpacked her suitcase. It always felt good to be home again. Of course, it helped that Jade was no longer under the same roof…breathing the same air…etc. She grabbed a pile of shirts from her suitcase, turning towards her dresser when she heard a thud on the floor. Before she could investigate there came a knock on the doorway. Rolling her eyes Jessie headed over to her door and opened it before turning back to her dresser to deposit her pile of shirts in one of the drawers.

Jonny entered, closing the door behind him. "Hey," he said sheepishly.

"Hey yourself. You can't possibly be done packing already."

"No…I haven't even opened up the suitcase yet."

"You're such a guy, Quest."

"Funny. Um, I actually came here to uh, you know, apologize."

Jessie paused in the midst of putting her shirts away, giving Jonny a quizzical look. "I could have sworn you apologized back on the yacht. Not that I don't like hearing you say I was right a zillion times…but, you're not one to apologize more than once. You've never been like that—not for as long as I've known you."

"I know…we've known each other a long time, haven't we?" asked Jonny changing the subject abruptly.

"Yeah…"

"And we're friends, right?"

"Of course." Jessie frowned. "Alright, hotshot, what gives?"

"I dunno. I just feel like things have changed around here…and I don't know what it all means."

"Jonny, if your dad wants to date, that's his deal. He's an adult. He doesn't need your permission to go to the bathroom—let alone to start dating again. If parents asked for their kids' opinions when it came to dating don't you think I would've sent my dad to a convent about now?"

Jonny shrugged, moving over to the bed and sinking down onto the mattress. Jessie sighed and pushed her suitcase aside to sit beside him. Jonny stared at the floor broodingly. "I just think nothing's ever gonna be the same again, Jess."

"It's called life. It's not supposed to be the same—then it would be dull," pointed out Jessie softly.

"It's not even that…I just feel like there's something different in the air and if I make the wrong move it'll disappear forever."

"Jonny, I hate it when you start talking cryptically. Only Hadji is allowed to talk like that. Look, things are crazy enough as it is 'cause this is our senior year in high school. We have things like prom, graduation, and college applications to worry about. And to top it all off you've got to look out for yourself…Surd _is _after you after all. That guy isn't gonna rest 'til he has both you and the stone. And as far as we know he already has the stone."

"I guess that's it. There's nothing like the old fashioned stalker to make you see the light of day, huh?" joked Jonny trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't start thinking _too _much of yourself, now, hotshot. I don't think your brain can handle too many thoughts at one time," retorted Jessie getting to her feet. Her foot hit something beneath the bed and she was about to investigate when Jonny got to his feet as well.

"This coming from the person who gets her license taken away every other day. If anyone's a hothead it's you, Ace."

"You're a funny man, Quest. I'm starting to think you like living dangerously. Maybe we should have someone kidnap you more often."

"Speaking of which…I uh, never really got to thank you for that."

"Your car keys will be thanks enough."

"You don't have a license."

"A minor detail. It's not like I'm gonna get pulled over or anything. I can usually outrun the police if it comes to that." Jessie brushed Jonny's point aside as though it was nothing major.

Jonny rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder why we're still friends."

"Because no one else goes along with your half baked ideas?" suggested Jessie with a raised eyebrow.

"You know one day you're gonna be finding yourself needing my half baked ideas."

"I'll hold my breath."

"Hey…we're always gonna be friends, right?" Jonny frowned, his forehead crinkling as he glanced at Jessie.

"Yeah…Jonny nothing's ever gonna change that."

"Nothing?"

"No, nothing. Just because you're a jerk sometimes doesn't mean I wanna trade you in for another friend."

"You're sure? 'Cause I don't know what I'd do if we weren't friends, Jess. You're a big part of my life."

"I'm starting to wonder if Jade didn't hit you harder in the head than I originally thought. You're never this mushy…or serious," remarked Jessie crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm just…I'm just afraid of losing you. Jade's out there now, probably planning her revenge," murmured Jonny.

"Jonny, I can take care of myself. You know that."

Jonny reached out, taking one of Jessie's hands in his own, nodding along to her statement. "I know…but sometimes I wonder…and I worry…and like I said, things have felt off lately."

Jessie pursed her lips together in a thoughtful manner, her eyes watching as Jonny's fingers entwined with her own. "Everything's gonna be alright, Jonny. It always turns out okay in the end. No matter how many times the bad guys come after us we always win in the end. We're lucky like that."

"But someday our luck might run out…and then where will we be?"

"I don't ponder over the what-ifs and maybes…and neither should you."

With a small smile on his lips Jonny glanced up at Jessie, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. Jessie returned the hug and broke away to study him with a concerned look in her eyes. Jonny was right, there was something wrong with him, but she couldn't quite figure it out.

Time ticked by slowly, and before she knew it Jessie found herself leaning closer to Jonny, her lips nearing his. Before their lips met, however, Jonny broke away.

"I can't," he said. Jessie blinked in surprise, her eyes filled with hurt and confusion as Jonny stepped away. Running a hand through his hair, the blonde teen dropped his gaze to the floor and walked out of the room. As soon as the door shut behind him, Jessie sunk back down onto her bed, a single tear falling down her face.

Outside the doorway Jonny sunk down the ground, berating himself for what he had done. Everything was so confusing right now. Things with his dad and Grace, Surd, and now Jessie; and Jonny didn't want to deal with any of it. He had a dark feeling that Jade wasn't following Surd's plans. The look in her eyes on the yacht had only proven that she was one step closer to being completely insane…and if that were true neither Jonny nor Jessie were safe.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Jade viewed Jessie as competition, and Jonny wouldn't be able to live with himself if something ever happened to Jessie. Part of him wanted to go back into her room and kiss her…but the other part knew that getting too close now could ruin their friendship forever. This was Jessie. This was his best friend. They were too young to fall in love now—it could only end in heartache…and Jonny was tired of losing the ones he loved. First his mother, now his father…he wasn't going to lose Jessie either. No, they had to remain only friends if they were ever going to stay on good terms.

**One More Room Down**

Hadji sighed as he hung up the phone. He clasped his hands together, bowing his head to stare at the carpet. Bandit was seated by his feet, watching him curiously. It seemed the bulldog couldn't find Jonny in his room and had opted for Hadji instead.

"I do not understand it, my little friend. Why will she not answer? She is a good person inside, I know she is. She said she needed time…but I fear that time will not wait for her."

**Across Town**

Anaya listened to the phone as it rang. She didn't have the heart to turn it off…but neither did she feel up to answering it. Glancing at the caller I.D. she saw that this time it was Melana calling, not Hadji.

"Why is it that I don't know what to do anymore? When did my loyalties become so hard to define?" she whispered to herself as she wiped away her tears. "Why can't I answer the phone?"

But Anaya knew why she couldn't answer her phone. She wasn't sure which call to take…she wasn't sure which call would be safer. All her life she had done according to plan, never questioning her father or what she was supposed to do…but after meeting Hadji all that had changed. Now she questioned everything from her father to her own self.

**A/N—Okay, here's the promised update…and some not so good news. I won't be able to update at all this summer. I need a real vacation and I have slim computer access back home…so please, please bear with me. I promise to update at the end of three months. You are more than welcome to email me, PM me, or even rant and rave on my forum that I have up for this story. Thanks.**

**-Storytellergirl-**


	11. Reunions

**Disclaimer: You all know the drill, this stuff doesn't belong to me, otherwise I'd try and make some money off it.**

**Chapter 11-Reunions**

Jonny watched in dismay as Jessie got out of the car without saying a word. His gaze followed her figure until it had disappeared into the school. The last few days had been strange to say the least. Jessie only spoke to him when she had to. Ever since he had walked out of her room Jonny had wanted to explain to Jessie why he had pulled away, but the words would never leave his mouth. Instead the two had seemed to drift further apart. Jessie was concentrating solely on school while Jonny tried to concentrate on anything but her.

With a sigh Jonny finally got out of the car and made his way towards the school doors. Inside he slowly made his way over to his locker, casting Jessie one last glance before turning his attention to his textbooks and notebooks.

From his left came the clearing of a throat. Jonny grabbed his last text book and closed his locker, only to come face to face with Samantha. "Oh, hey," he said.

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Jesus, Quest, you're acting as though someone died. The principal wants to throw a party because it's been like _forever_ since you pulled a prank on him. What gives?"

"Family stuff," replied Jonny smoothly.

"Uh-huh." Samantha peeked around Jonny to see Jessie slamming her own locker shut and walking down the hallway. "I'm thinking it's more of a girl problem."

"I'm not dating Jessie! I never was! And I'm not going to! Why can't anyone get that through their heads?" Jonny was exasperated now. Why did everyone have to connect him to Jessie and vice versa? There was nothing between them—at this point Jonny wasn't even sure that they were still friends.

"Alright, alright, don't bite my head off. It's just that you and Jessie have like been an unofficial couple since you arrived here. The first day of school you guys drove up together…and obviously you have history. I mean look at the way you guys communicate. You guys are like always on the same wave length. How can we _not _think there's something going on between you?" demanded Samantha with an injured tone. The blonde teen frowned as she waited for Jonny to reply.

"Jessie…she's like a sister, okay? We've lived under the same roof for a long time now…we're family."

"Where the hell are you two from? Kentucky? Jonny, I have a brother, and I do _not _get along with him the same way you get along with Jessie. Because if I did it would be one step away from incest."

"Now you're just being stupid. Read my lips, Samantha, Jessie and I are only friends. Nothing else. It's not like that between us—no matter what anyone else says, got it?"

Samantha pursed her lips thoughtfully, an impish smile growing on her lips. "Then how about taking me out on a date?"

A minute passed in silence as Jonny contemplated the idea. As the bell rang he nodded. "Alright, how about after school today?"

"I'll meet you here." Samantha stood on her tip-toes and gave Jonny a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing off to class. Jonny grimaced as he watched her go. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about this latest turn of events.

"Grow up, Quest," he muttered to himself as he started walking towards class. "You've got to do this so you won't lose Jessie."

**Quest Compound**

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Race questioned Estella curiously. He had just entered the kitchen only to find his ex-wife furiously throwing open cupboards left and right. She had a look on her face that said something was really bothering her.

"Flour…and sugar…and chocolate…and eggs…" Estella glanced over at Race, her hair a mess. "Don't you people have anything in here to make cookies?"

Race rolled his eyes. "All right, what is it? You hate baking."

"I do not."

"Oh please, remember when Jessie was in kindergarten and she offered to bring cupcakes to class? What did you make her bring?"

"Carrots and celery."

"My point is made."

Estella narrowed her eyes at Race, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Vegetables are healthier for growing children!"

"And the fact that all the other kids teased Jessie for a week means nothing to you?" shot back Race.

"Should it? You started teaching her martial arts the very next weekend!"

"Because you wouldn't make cupcakes!"

Opening her mouth and then shutting it again, Estella sighed. "And we wonder why Jessie hates to be seen with us."

Race gave a wry chuckle. "We really are bad, aren't we? Arguing over every little thing. Why are we like this?"

"Because it's the only way we know how to communicate," murmured Estella shrugging. "Race, we stopped talking…and I mean _really_ talking a long time ago. We've made Jessie our go between…"

"She's a good kid though…well, she gets your temper."

"She is a good kid. I'm just…I'm worried about her."

Race raised an eyebrow. "Estella, she's fine. This is Jessie we're talking about. She's not a damsel in distress. That girl knows how to take care of herself."

"I know, I know," Estella groaned, burying her face in her hands as she leaned back against the counter. "But it's just a feeling I have. A mother's feeling. I don't want to leave her."

"No one said you had to. Look, I know I threaten to call the lawyers in every time you try to intervene when I'm trying to be a parent, but it doesn't change the fact that you're Jessie's mother. 'Stella, you have every right to stay. I'm not gonna ask you to leave." Race took a few steps forward, reaching out to grip both of Estella's shoulders with his hands. "And if you think Jessie's in danger, then I'm gonna believe you. You were right about Jade…you're probably right about this too."

"Thank-you." Estella gave Race a small smile and allowed him to pull her into his arms. After a minute she said, "You do know that even had you asked I wouldn't have left, don't you?"

"I had a feeling you wouldn't…so I took the liberty of unpacking your suitcase and storing it in the attic."

"You're a good man, Roger Bannon."

"Uh-huh."

At that exact moment Jessie bounded through the kitchen door. She stopped and raised her eyebrows at the sight of her parents hugging. "You know, I don't want to know."

Race and Estella broke apart. Race spoke first. "Where's Jonny?"

Jessie's face darkened. "Oh, you know, being Jonny. He went out—said he'd be back later or something…like I really care."

"Then how'd you get home?" asked Estella suspiciously.

"There _are_ other people at school with cars besides Jonny. I just bummed a ride home with someone else today. No biggie."

"And Jonny didn't say where he was going?" challenged Race.

"Dad, if I had cared enough to ask Jonny where he was going with a bimbo cheerleader, don't you think I would have told you by now?"

"Sometimes I really wonder."

Jessie rolled her eyes as she deposited her backpack on the kitchen table. "So what are you two doing?"

"Your mom thinks she's baking."

"Since when? Last time I asked her to bake something I ended up with carrots and celery."

Estella made a face. "It wasn't that bad. The kids stopped teasing you the next week."

"Only because I could kick their ass," pointed out Jessie wryly. Estella's eyes narrowed dangerously as she shot Race a dark glare. The older Bannon sighed and shrugged as if to say it wasn't his fault.

Jessie chuckled at the scene, glad not to see her parents arguing like they usually did. "Anyway, I was just coming to ask someone for car keys so I could go to the mall. I have to pick a few things up…" Her voice trailed off at the look both adults sent her. "What, I'll be careful, I promise. What could possibly happen if I took one innocent little drive over to the mall? I'll go the speed limit!"

Race and Estella exchanged dubious glances that left the kitchen in silence for three minutes. Finally Race pulled out his car keys and handed them over to Jessie. "Phone me when you get there and when you're ready to leave, you hear? And don't do anything stupid today. You don't have Jonny to bail you out."

"Obviously you forget who I am. _I_ always bail Jonny out," replied Jessie starkly.

"Things can change."

**Downtown**

"Benton, this restaurant is beautiful," murmured Grace glancing around at the many chandeliers that adorned the high ceiling. Waiters dressed to the nines passed Benton and Grace's table with platters of expensive food.

"Well you know what they say, only the best for the best," replied Benton with a twinkle in his eye.

Grace chuckled. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Exactly like old times. Remember when I took you to that restaurant in San Francisco only to discover that we had overdressed when we got there?"

"How could I forget? I believe it was called _Morning Prelude_. A lovely name for a not so lovely restaurant." Grace shook her head at the memory. "What a night that was. I wasn't sure if I wanted to give you another chance after that night."

"Which you kindly did."

"Yes, for a few weeks and then…"

Benton nodded as Grace trailed off. He had met Rachel then. Everything had seemed to change. Benton had fallen head over heels in love for Grace's best friend. "I thought you hated me for that."

"I think I did for a brief while, but then I attended your wedding two years later and I knew that you and Rachel were meant to be together. You both were so in love with the other, and seeing that melted my anger. I couldn't be angry with either of you. Besides, if you hadn't married Rachel you wouldn't have Jonny. He's a lot like his mother, does he know that?"

"He remembers very little of her, and everything I tell him seems to be doubted at this age. He's only a teenager, but God, he's like Rachel in every single way." Benton smiled at the thought. "I wish he would try to get to know you better. He'd really like you, I know he would, and I know you'll like him once he stops acting like a kid."

Grace smiled brightly. "I already do like him, Benton. It's just hard for him to see his father dating again. You've gone so long being single that Jonny is simply used to having you to himself. You aren't like Race, out every other night with a different woman. Jessie's grown up with that, but Jonny grew up with a father who devoted every waking hour to his son and job—not that Race isn't devoted to Jessie or his job, but—"

"But he does date around a lot. I know. Race is under the impression that Jessie needs a mother figure whenever we're in Rockport. He'd rather not receive a phone call from Estella in the middle of the night blasting him for being insensitive to his daughter's needs."

"It's a good thing you had a boy then."

"I've begun to question that little truth. I can't decide whose worse, Jonny or Jessie. Hadji was a blessing to have. He never put a foot out of the line…and if he did I'm just grateful I never caught him. Those three have certainly grown up in the last few years. And their lives have only seemed to be placed in greater danger."

Grace reached out and took one of Benton's hands in her own. "There is nothing you could have done differently to change that. Dr. Zin, Surd, Rage…they all have their vendettas; each blames you and Race for the downfall their once prominent lives took. They just want to hurt you in a way that you will never recover. Taking your and Race's only children is the only way they feel they can destroy you."

"Well they're doing a pretty damn good job about it by just threatening to."

"Don't worry so much. Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji know how to take care of themselves. They know how to take care of each other too. They aren't children anymore. They're adults now."

"And yet that doesn't seem to make me feel any better," murmured Benton just as the waiter arrived with their food.

**Rockport Mall**

Jessie shuffled her bags from one hand to the other as she dug in her pocket for the keys to her dad's car. She couldn't really remember what all she had bought, but whatever it was it had cost quite a bit of money. Jessie mentally thanked her father for his credit card. He had let her borrow it a while back and had forgotten to retrieve it from her. Of course he'd probably be more than willing to hunt it down after he received his next bill.

"Stupid, Jonny, this is his entire fault," she mumbled to herself as she entered the parking lot. Jessie glanced around the lot in search of the row in which she had parked her car. Her brows creased in confusion when she couldn't find it. Jessie walked up and down the row, knowing full well she had parked the car in it, but the car was nowhere to be found.

Cursing under her breath Jessie shoved all her bags onto a single arm and began to walk up and down each row in the parking lot. An hour later she was exasperated, as well as completely baffled, to not find the car.

"I know I drove it here…and I know I parked it. So where the hell did it go in between me getting out of the damn thing, going into the mall, shopping, and coming right back out?" With a groan Jessie pulled out her cell phone and dialed home.

"Hey, daddy, um, I have a problem. Well, your car…it's um…it's kinda missing. I don't know how, I just know that it is. Of course I walked up and down the parking lot. Yes, I still have the keys. Would you like me to make them jingle so you can hear them? Uh-huh, that's what I thought. Could you come pick me up? I'll go find a security officer inside the mall. Yeah, yeah, no! I am _not_ paying for a new car. It's not my fault it got stolen. Grounded? Is that your answer to everything? Hello? Hello? Dad?"

Jessie pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at it. Race had hung up on her. "Men. I hate them all."

She put her phone away and shuffled her bags from one arm to the other again. Jessie made her way back to the mall entrance, intent on finding one of the security guards that wandered the mall. As she stepped though the doors however, her attention focused in on one very familiar woman.

"No fuckin' way," breathed Jessie in surprise. Their eyes locked and for a brief moment the world seemed to stop moving. Then bags fell to the ground and Jessie was chasing the woman through the mall.

"Anaya!" hollered Jessie at the top of her lungs. The two females barely managed to avoid pushing other shoppers to the ground as they zigged and zagged through the crowded area. Anaya somehow managed to keep a good distance between her and the red head, and she showed no intentions of ever slowing. Jessie gritted her teeth and tried to gain more speed, only to collide into her father.

"Dammit, she's getting away!"

"Who's getting away?" demanded Race, his grip tightening on his daughter. He had caught her to prevent her from falling, but Jessie only struggled to try and get out of his hands.

"Anaya."

"She's here?"

"Well she was. She's probably gone by now." Jessie glanced up at her dad suspicious. "How did you get here so fast?"

Race grimaced. "Your mother sent me to the store for baking ingredients."

**Quest Compound**

Jonny stretched as he walked up the front porch steps. His dad had called to tell him he was needed at home. At first Jonny had thought something had happened to Jessie, but Benton had assured him it was actually good news. So Jonny had cut short his evening with Samantha to go home. He pushed open the front door and walked towards the living room. It was the only room with a light still on in the house. Jonny blinked in surprise at the sight that greeted his eyes.

Sitting across from his father was the last person Jonny had expected to see. It was his grandfather, Doug Wildey. "Grandpa?" Jonny chuckled in joy as Doug got to his feet to give the blonde teen a hug.

"You've gotten taller since the last time I saw you, boy. I don't think I'll be able to catch up with you now."

Benton smiled in amusement at the joke. "Your grandfather got wind of your…adventures."

"Which ones?" asked Jonny with a frown.

Doug answered as he lowered himself back into his seat. "The one with you being chased by Rage, Surd, and the Zins. You've got to be more careful, Jonny. I can't afford to lose my only grandson."

"Yeah…I'm working on that," replied Jonny bashfully. He always hated it when the male members of his family lectured him like he was still a child, throwing in emotional tidbits that Jonny would rather forego.

"Benton, I think you should have more men follow our boy around. He's more trouble than my ranch sometimes."

"I know what you mean. Want to trade?" Benton glanced over at Doug who shook his head with a trace of a smile on his lips.

"There's more to it than the usual pranks and scrapes. I heard about the Immortal Stone," said Doug.

"Well, there shouldn't be too many worries on that any more. It's gone missing."

Doug ignored Benton's words and kept speaking. "Rachel was searching for the Immortal Stone before she died. She was collaborating with Dr. Zin on it."

Jonny sank down onto the couch. "Really?"

Benton had a troubled look in his eyes. "I knew she was collaborating with Dr. Zin…but I had no idea it was about the Immortal Stone."

"Well now you know. Rachel knew a lot about that stone, Benton. More than you or Dr. Lin will ever know. She had an old journal filled with secrets about the stone. I thought it was all mumbo jumbo she had made up as a child—she had always wanted to find it. But she was right. It exists, and whatever she knew about it, well…I guess we'll never know."

"She never mentioned the Immortal Stone to me…not once in our entire marriage!"

"Why would she? It's a dangerous object that I would rather see destroyed more than anything else in this world, and Rachel knew that. I think she also knew where the stone was meant to rest. Not in Bangalore where it was found…but in a holy temple hidden away from the rest of the world."

"Huh?" Jonny glanced back and forth between his dad and grandfather as they exchanged a glance that seemed to say they both knew what the other was saying.

"The Immortal Temple," murmured Benton sitting back in his seat. "The temple in which the immortal sacrifice is to take place."

**Upstairs,**

**Later that Evening**

"Then they started talking mumbo-jumbo," groaned Jonny as he leaned back in his computer chair. "I couldn't follow much of it after that."

Hadji nodded understandingly from his perch on Jonny's bed. "It seems the Immortal Stone is more entwined with your family history than I had originally thought. How unusual."

"You mean weird, Hadj. It's just plain weird. And creepy." Jonny yawned. "Hey, my dad mentioned that Jess got Race's car stolen."

"She saw Anaya as well and took chase. She is very angry over the whole ordeal. The items she bought were stolen along with her purse and everything in it. I believe she is grounded again."

Jonny snorted. "Same ol' Jess."

"Have you tried to speak with her lately?"

"Are you kidding? She's ready to put a knife in my gut. I ain't talking to her 'til she calms down."

Hadji sighed. Jonny had yet to confide in Jessie's reasons for being mad at him, but Hadji had a feeling he knew what it was. "Jonny, have you ever thought that perhaps it is time to put the past behind you and move on. You do know that the past is already done and gone…all we have left is the future."

Silence loomed in the room as Jonny gazed out his bedroom window. "I'm doing the right thing, Hadj. Jess and I will be alright in a few days. You'll see. Everything will be back like it was before."

"I am afraid my friend, that you are trying to hold onto a childhood innocence that has been lost long ago." Hadji got to his feet and squeezed Jonny's shoulder reassuringly on his way out of the room. For a long time after that Jonny only stared out his window, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

**A/N—I bet y'all thought I wasn't gonna come back, huh? Especially considering I missed my August deadline. I apologize for that…school started up and I've got a lot on my plate this semester. But don't worry, I fully intend on keeping up on this story and finishing it. It just took me a while to get back into the swing of things again. Thanks for being so patient with me. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, not the greatest, but more is to come soon. **


	12. Suspension

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Chapter 12-Detention**

"Is this everything?" Grace's voice echoed through the room in dismay as she glanced around at the various manila folders strewn about the tiny office. Eight filing cabinets were pulled open with more folders inside. The mahogany desk was littered with papers and notebooks. In short, the office was a complete disaster.

Benton glanced up from the cramped space on the floor he had managed to clean up so that he could sit. His eyes were tired from trying to decipher the cramped handwriting from several notebooks piled beside him. With a sigh he shut the notebook he was reading and tore off his glasses, rubbing his eyes.

"I couldn't find it within myself to throw out any of Rachel's research. I thought that one day I would find time to go through it all and save what was vital to her former colleagues, but I never got a chance. It's been sitting in her office since she passed away." Benton sighed. "And now I need to go through it to find everything she ever wrote about that damn gem…but I…I don't know where to begin. This is _her_ office—I don't have any idea what kind of order she kept in here."

Grace took in Benton's grave face with a catch in her heart. She could tell that by going through his late wife's things it was tearing him apart. With a soft sigh she made her way over to Benton and crouched down in front of him, placing gentle hands on his knees. "How about I take over from here? I used to work with Rachel…I think I have an idea how she had things organized."

"Are you sure? I would hate to leave you here to do all of this…there's so much to go through."

"I'll be fine."

Hadji's voice chimed in agreement from the doorway. "I will help her. You should rest, Dr. Quest."

Benton took a deep breath as he cast a long glance around the office. He finally nodded and got to his feet. At the doorway he looked back at Grace with a sad smile. "Thank-you. I'll…I'll check in with you two later."

Grace nodded in understanding and watched him go as Hadji came inside the room. He observed the look on her face before speaking. "You really love him, don't you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Does a flower blossom in the spring?"

**Rockport High School**

Jonny put on a smile as he entered the school doors. There was Samantha standing beside his locker with a silly grin on her face. He kept his face straight as she stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek, her way of greeting him for the day. Without a word Jonny opened his locker and began to look for his text books once again, trying hard to ignore the cheerleader beside her without her catching on. Sure she was pretty and a decent kisser, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't help but compare her to someone else. Someone who was the direct opposite of Samantha.

Across the hall Jessie was yawning as she opened her own locker. She hadn't slept well at all and seeing Jonny with Samantha wasn't doing any wonders for her brain, if anything the red head was starting to feel sick to her stomach. She made sure to keep her eyes averted from the twosome, all the while grumbling under her breath about men being the spawn of everything evil.

"I'm gonna head to class…I'll see you later," said Jonny as he closed his locker, his eyes glancing down at the blonde beside him. Samantha pouted, forcing Jonny to hold back a twitch in his eye. Pouting was normally attractive in a girl but he couldn't help but think that Samantha's lips were too thin and that she looked like a fish. Then he couldn't help but notice other things about her that just didn't make sense too him. Her hair was too glossy. Her eyes didn't twinkle. Her smile seemed cheesy. Her ears were too small. She wore too much make-up. She was too perky. She overdressed every day. She wore too much perfume. She wore too much jewelry. Her gum chewing was annoying.

"Fine," sighed Samantha after a moment, a smile on her face. "I'll save you a seat at lunch." She pulled Jonny down to kiss him on the lips, drawing out the kiss longer than need be.

"S-sure." Jonny quickly pulled away and dashed off in the direction of his classroom, his eyes straying over to Jessie only once to see her eyes flashing in anger.

Samantha toyed with a strand of blonde hair and made her way over to Jessie the moment Jonny was out of sight. "I want a word with you, Bannon."

"And I don't want to hear it. I don't speak bimbo talk," replied Jessie coolly, slamming her locker shut.

"Stay away from Jonny. He's mine now."

"You can have him. Good luck though, he's quite a handful." Jessie made to brush past the blonde and head to her own class when she felt a hand grab her arm. Jessie turned with raised eyebrows to look at Samantha who stood about three feet shorter than her.

"I know there's something going on between you two still. I can see the way he looks at you and not me. I'm not stupid. Stay away from him, you got it? I'm ten times better than you are and we both know it…so why don't you go find yourself a new boyfriend, 'cause Jonny's mine and I won't lose him to someone as plain as you."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Sweetie, you and I both know I could take you out in three seconds flat. Don't push my buttons. I have a lot of unrestrained anger right now…and I don't have a problem taking it out on you, got it?" Yanking her arm out of Samantha's grasp Jessie turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway, leaving the blonde fuming in anger.

**Rockport High School Cafeteria**

**Lunch Time**

"Jonny!" Samantha's pitiful wail made the teen glance up from his tray of food. He caught himself before he groaned aloud and pasted a smile onto his face as Samantha slid into the seat next to him.

"Hey, Samantha."

"Jo-on-ny, aren't you gonna ask me what's wrong?"

Jonny's forehead creased in thought as she tried to figure out how to politely tell her no. Instead he said, "Uh, what's wrong?"

Samantha took a deep breath before speaking. "It's Jessie. She's been saying mean things about me all day. She even started a rumor!"

"A rumor? Jessie? Are you sure, 'cause that doesn't sound like her."

"Of course I'm sure, Jonny. I heard it with my own two ears. She doesn't like me. Like in P.E. today she tried to kill me during dodge ball! Jonny, my life is in danger! You have to do something!"

Jonny rolled his eyes. "I'm sure Jessie isn't trying to kill you. There's only one person on her death list and that's her dad's ex-girlfriend." He groaned at the look on Samantha's face that told him she clearly didn't believe him. "Alright, alright, I'll talk to her later."

"You should talk to her now," stated Samantha. "She's just sitting down."

Glancing over to where the blonde was pointing Jonny sighed. He didn't feel like talking to Jessie, and even if did he wasn't going to say anything about Samantha. He knew the red head; her death list only consisted of one person: Jade. Jessie wouldn't waste her time on someone like Samantha. Jonny slowly got to his feet at another look from Samantha and meandered in Jessie's general direction. He pulled out a chair across from her and plopped down in it.

"Hey," he said.

"If this is because I nailed your little girlfriend in the head with a dodge ball today, I'm not sorry because in dodge ball you're supposed to move around—not stand in one spot inspecting your nails," replied Jessie without bothering to look up from the text book propped up beside her tray of food.

Jonny made a face. "Aw, Jess, you didn't really hit her, did you?"

"She was in the way. I can't control the ball when it's in the air. If I could do that then I would have a nice little missal on its way to Jade right now."

"Yeah, I know…but d'ya think you can maybe not provoke Samantha in any way for a while? Don't even look at her—she's driving me up the wall with all her whining."

Jessie's eyebrows rose as she finally glanced up at Jonny. "Look, it isn't my fault that you have bad taste in women and are now dating a Barbie doll, okay? If she's annoying you why don't you just dump her?"

"It isn't that easy," murmured Jonny with another frown.

"Oh please, hotshot. Admit it, you don't get women. You don't understand the first thing about the female sex. You're clueless."

"Hey, that isn't true."

"Uh-huh. First Jade, now Samantha…I'm starting to see a trend."

"Oh gimme a break, Jess—I wasn't the one who went out with Brad."

"One date, Quest. It was one date—and I dumped him in case you hadn't noticed. And at least I learn from my mistakes," shot back Jessie, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Jonny snorted. "Oh sure. This coming from the girl who can't stand any form of competition."

"Excuse me? Jade was _not _competition—she was a psycho bitch! And Samantha…I don't even know why I'm defending myself. I have no competition because I'm not after any guy. I've haven't been setting my standards high enough…and trust me when I say no guy here fits the bill of the perfect man."

"Why are you like this?"

"Like what? Tell me exactly what I am, Jonny. I'm intrigued to see what you think." Jessie sat back in her seat with crossed arms.

"Aggravating first of all—you always get so fucking defensive whenever I talk to you. And you're always pissed…you're starting to remind me of Jade," snapped Jonny.

Jessie's face darkened at the comparison. "Jade? Did you just compare me to _Jade_? Jonny, are you _that_ blind?"

"Everyone keeps telling me that! What the hell am I not seeing, huh?" Jonny's voice rose in anger, gaining unwanted attention from some of the nearby tables, but neither he nor Jessie noticed. Both were too busy losing their tempers.

"God, you're such a guy!"

"Oh yeah, _that_ explains everything. Thanks for making it so clear, Jess. I feel like a fog has been lifted from my eyes."

"Oh screw you."

"Go to hell. You're taking everything I say out of proportion."

"You don't even know why I'm upset!" shouted Jessie. "You don't get it!"

"Then tell me! Dammit, I'm tired of playing these games, Jessie! Every time we talk you're either being cryptic like Hadji or unreasonable! I don't get you—you and your mood swings! It's a fuckin' joke."

"If you would just open your eyes you'd see—but you're too damn afraid of your own shadow! You'll never grow up—you'll never let go of the past—you'll never see what you already have!"

"_There's nothing to see!_"

"I hate you!"

"I hate you too!"

The two teens paused mid-tirade, both studying the other. They were standing on their feet by now, both panting with the amount of yelling and screaming they had done. Neither was paying attention to the fact that the entire cafeteria was watching.

And then they acted. Jessie's fist flew threw the air, connecting with Jonny's face. His head whipped back and he gritted his teeth in pain, but before anyone could say anything his own fist was flying back at Jessie, hitting her in the cheek. Girls screamed as Jessie stumbled backwards, but the red head quickly shot forward, scrambling over the table and tackling Jonny to the ground.

Samantha's eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched Brad step into the fray with a few other members of the football team. It took two players each to separate the feuding pair, and by then the Principal was in the cafeteria.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, looking back and forth between Jonny and Jessie. Neither one answered, their eyes locked on each other with raw anger showing. "No answers? I see. I am growing sick and tired of your games, Mr. Quest, Ms. Bannon…I think it's time I did something about it. As of now you are both suspended until further notice. I will call your parents and schedule a meeting for tomorrow morning. But I don't want to see either one of you until then. Out!"

Jonny pulled himself out of the grasp of the footballers holding onto him, seething with anger. He shot Jessie a murderous look before stalking out of the cafeteria with Samantha on his heels.

Jessie pushed Brad away, ignoring his concerns of the growing bruise on her cheek. She grabbed her text book off the table and picked her back pack off the ground before exiting the cafeteria as well.

By the time she made it to her locker Jonny was already shutting his with a loud slam. They didn't say a word. Jonny allowed Samantha to tend to his purple eye as Jessie pulled a few text books out of her locker. She slammed it shut and was soon walking out of the school building.

The school bell rang two seconds later and Jonny quickly gave Samantha a kiss good bye before heading into the parking lot. One glance in the direction of his car sent him running. "Aw, hell no. Fuck!" Jonny watched helplessly as Jessie drove off with his car. His hands dug into his pockets, and upon finding his keys the blonde began to curse Race for ever teaching Jessie how to hotwire vehicles.

**Quest Compound**

Benton glanced up from the kitchen table as the front door slammed shut. Jessie came into the room, her face settled in a scowl. The older man glanced at his watch suspiciously. He glanced over at the phone where Race still stood, listening to the person on the other end.

"You're home early," observed Benton. His eyes widened at the slight bruise on her face. "What happened?"

Jessie shrugged and was about to head upstairs when Race hung up the phone with a slam. "Don't even think about moving, young lady!"

"Race, have you seen her face—" Benton's words were cut short as the front door slammed yet again and Jonny came stalked into the kitchen, his eye now a darker shade of purple. "What's going on here?"

"I'll tell you what's going on—Jessie's insane! She stole my car and I had to take a fucking cab home!" started Jonny.

Race quickly stepped in to catch Jessie as she tried to hurl herself at Jonny. Benton stood up as well and came around the table to hear what Race had to say.

"It seems our children had a little fight during lunch—with each other of all people. The principal has suspended them until further notice, and he wants to meet with us tomorrow morning—without Rocky and Rambo here."

"Alright," said Benton, his face stern. "What's going on with you two? You've never acted like this before."

"It's nothing," said Jessie. "Just Jonny being stupid like always."

"You hit me first! I don't even know what she's pissed about!" stated Jonny loudly.

Benton raised his hands in the air, indicating he wanted peace and quiet. From the hallway Hadji, Estella, and Rachel entered to see what all the yelling was about. Benton spoke once again. "Look, something's going on with you two. You've been at each other's throats for over a week now—I don't know what it is, but I want it settled soon."

Jessie groaned. "There's nothing to settle! I've already said everything I've wanted to say."

"Like hell you have," snapped Jonny. "You haven't said a damn thing that's made any sense."

"Jesus Christ, Jonny, how fucking blunt do you want me to be? If you don't know what's going on they obviously it doesn't even matter. I'm tired of explaining things to you!"

"All you've been telling me is to open my eyes! What the hell does that mean? I'm tired of it, Jess! If you're not gonna tell me then I don't want to know."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"_Enough!_" Race's voice echoed off the walls of the kitchen, silencing the entire room. "Both of you upstairs and in your rooms now! I don't want to hear another damn word out of your mouths for the next twenty-four hours, you got it? I don't know how I'm gonna punish you yet, but believe me it's gonna make hell look like paradise when I'm through with you."

Jonny and Jessie lapsed into silence, letting Race know they understood his warning. Race let go of his hold on Jessie and watched as she grabbed her things off the floor and disappeared up the stairway. A minute later Jonny too was up the stairs and out of sight. Two pairs of doors slammed shut and the house returned to silence.

Estella spoke first. "What is going on?"

Benton sighed as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I'm not sure…but whatever it is its getting worse. I don't know how we're going to survive a few more months of this—they're getting out of hand."

Grace moved over to Benton's side, placing a reassuring hand on his back. "I'm sure they'll work this out soon. They can't possibly stay mad at each other forever, can they?"

Hadji glanced up the stairway, a strange look on his face. "I believe they have forgotten how to communicate. They have lost touch with one another…it will take a great miracle for them to find their selves once more."

**A/N—Yeah, so I'm a little behind in posting…but I actually enjoyed this chapter. Although I must say I intended Jonny and Jessie to only have a food fight and get detention…but the other part came out instead. It's kinda weird, I know, but it's not gonna last long. They're both confused right now…it'll wear off soon, I promise.**


	13. A Temporary Problem

**Disclaimer: You guys know the drill, so not mine.**

**Chapter 13-A Temporary Problem**

_- dedicated to Kelley-_

A knock at the door made Anaya glance up, her eyes widening in fear. She had been curled up on the bed, hugging the pillow as though it were a lifeline. Her head was swirling with a million different thoughts, all of which were making her more paranoid than she already was. Ever since she had been spotted at the mall by Jessie Anaya had been holed up in her hotel room, refusing any and all phone calls sent her way. Trouble was coming; she knew it.

The knock at the door became louder, making Anaya sit up in bed, still clutching the pillow to her chest. Her eyes studied the door, watching it shake with every pound. After several long minutes Anaya got to her feet, dropping the pillow onto the bed, and walked over to the door. Her hand hovered above the chain lock before reluctantly pulling it open. Her hand then went down to the main lock, turning it. Silence came from the other side at the sound of the click.

Wetting her lips, Anaya took a deep breath and pulled the door open. Standing on the other side stood Melana. They gazed at one another, knowing they were no longer like two peas in a pod. Everything had changed.

Anaya opened her mouth to speak, to try and explain what was going on with her, but the words were never allowed to leave her lips. Melana moved aside, making room for Jade to suddenly appear, her fist flying through the air and into Anaya's face. Rocking back on her heels, Anaya's hands flew up to her face, crying out in pain. Jade stepped into the room, Melana right behind her. As Jade bent down, another fist pummeling downwards into the fallen Asian girl, the door to the hotel room was shut and locked.

**Somewhere Else**

"She looks just like my daughter." Rage's face seemed softer as he gazed down at the photo in his hand. It was a snapshot, one taken from a far distance, but to Rage it didn't matter. It was still a photo to be cherished, for in that photo was the girl who would become his daughter. He would dote on her, care for her, love her. He would raise her just as his late wife would have wanted.

From his seat behind his desk Zin nodded, a sly smile on his lips. To see the great Ezekial Rage become so enamored by a simple picture was more than enough for the evil doctor to know that his ultimate plan was going accordingly.

"I know you will raise her well," stated Dr. Zin, his words sounding almost truthful.

Rage looked up from the picture of Jessie, his eyes bright with insanity. "When will I be able to take her home?"

"Soon enough, I assure you. We still have the Quests to deal with, as well as Race Bannon."

"I thought you said Jade would be taking care of all that."

"As we speak Jade and Melana are taking care of a temporary problem."

"Problem?" Rage narrowed his eyes, growing suspicious.

"It seems my other daughter, Anaya, has lost her way. It should be rectified shortly."

"You mean to kill her?" demanded another voice as it entered the room. Both Zin and Rage turned to see Surd being wheeled into the room by Julia.

"There is no other way at the moment. Anaya has become a threat to us. Allowing her to live would be a terrible blow were she to go to the Quests with the information she has," replied Zin, his voice cold.

Julia frowned. "But she is your own daughter. You have no qualms about killing her?"

"A traitor cannot be a daughter."

**Rockford, Maine**

**Quest Compound**

Jonny stared at his computer screen, his hands behind his head; his face devoid of emotion. He had been sitting in that same position for over two hours, and yet the blonde teen seemed not to notice the blood in his arms slowing or the cramped feeling in his legs. His mind wasn't on the here and now—it was elsewhere.

A soft whimper shook Jonny from his reverie. Glancing at the floor beside his bed Jonny couldn't help but smile. Bandit was dreaming again. Sighing, Jonny lowered his arms, allowing the blood to return, and then he stretched his legs. A quick look at the clock told him he had wasted yet another evening lost in thought rather than writing the English essay that was due in two days.

"Wish I was you, old pal. You've got an easy life…me, I don't know what I'm doing any more," murmured Jonny as his gaze returned to his faithful companion now slumbering peacefully.

With a groan Jonny pushed back his chair to stand up. He knew he wouldn't be writing his paper tonight. Not when his mind was obviously elsewhere. He opened the door of his room and stepped out into the hallway. Almost immediately he found his gaze drawn to the closed door of Jessie's room. His jaw clenched and the blonde teen forced himself to walk down the hall without another glance at Jessie's room.

Taking the steps two at a time Jonny found himself in the dimly lit kitchen. He yawned as he made his way over to the fridge, pulling it open wide enough for the light to flood out and brighten the room. Jonny was home alone, a rare occurrence at the compound. His dad was out with Grace again, much to Jonny's dismay. He had thought they were working on some project until Jessie had bluntly informed him, despite the fact that he and Jessie still weren't talking, that his dad and Grace were out on a date,. That was when Jonny had bailed out on going out with Race and Hadji to hole himself up in his room. Jessie, in turn, had gone out with Estella for some more mother-daughter time.

"What is this? Mrs. Evans is slacking off with the leftovers," grumbled the blonde letting the fridge door slam shut. He hadn't found anything to eat, not that he was really hungry. Jonny was too stressed to eat these days, what with his dad dating Grace and his own complicated set of problems with a certain red head.

A soft sound coming from outside jerked Jonny out of his brooding. He frowned and stood still to see if the sound would repeat itself. Half a minute later it did. The sound was one that couldn't be heard by the average person, it was soft enough to be mistaken as the wind playing tricks on the mind, but Jonny had been trained to recognize unfamiliar sounds when out and about—or even home alone.

It was the distinct sound of a footstep moving about in the grass directly outside the kitchen window. Moving over to the window Jonny peered out into the night, his eyes adjusting to the blackness of the yard. His eyes widened and he ducked down onto his knees, his heart starting to race. Outside were a couple of men in fatigues prowling through Jonny's backyard.

His immediate thought was that the men had come on behalf of Surd, Rage, and the Zins, his next was relief that Jessie wasn't home in case the men had come on behalf of Jade.

Counting to ten under his breath, Jonny, in a low crouch, made his way back to the stairwell, just as the first sound of tread fall on the porch reached his ears. Taking three steps up, Jonny reached up onto the wall to lift a painting off the wall, revealing the gleam of a silver button. Jonny reached up to press it, triggering a silent alarm to the local police and coast guard. Until they arrived however Jonny would be on his own.

Flattening himself against the wall Jonny waited for the prowlers to enter the house. He hadn't realized anyone had been on the grounds, which meant that the security system connected to the house had been turned off. Jonny prayed that it wouldn't affect the silent alarm.

A minute later came the sound of the sliding glass doors opening, the familiar squeak of rubber on metal echoing across the kitchen. Silence reigned afterwards as though the prowlers were waiting to be sure no one had heard the noise. Jonny smirked. He might actually have the advantage this time around. He didn't have to wait long. The two men eased along the hardwood floor, passing by Jonny without even seeing him.

"I don't think anyone's home," hissed one man.

The other snorted. "No, they gotta be. Jade said they would be here and she's never wrong."

"Just like she wasn't wrong in Bangkok when she told us the house wasn't being watched by police?"

"Aw, shaddup. We told her we'd do this one favor and she'd give us the money she owes us."

"Right, right, we grab the kid and kill the other one."

"Exactly."

That one word had Jonny moving before he could think things through. He knew exactly which kid they wanted to kill. Jessie.

Jonny launched himself at the man standing closest to him, knocking him to the ground with a loud thud. The man gave a strangled cry in surprise as his companion turned around, his flashlight clicking on. He took two long strides to his struggling partner on the ground, reaching down to grab Jonny's shirt and yank the blonde teen off the downed man, but Jonny was already hurtling himself at the second man, also catching him by surprise.

The man fell onto his back with Jonny slamming a fist into his jaw. A loud crack could be heard as bone broke, but Jonny kept his fists moving. The first man scrambled to his knees, grabbing Jonny in a headlock and dragging him off the other guy. All three rose to their feet, and the second man moved his fist in the direction of Jonny's gut. The blonde could sense the punch coming and jerked up his legs to deflect the impending blow. The man let out a cry of pain, cursing loudly as the man holding onto Jonny tried to keep his grip on the teen solid.

Jonny bent over in a forward position, lifting the man behind him off his feet and over his head. The man tumbled onto his companion, knocking both of them to the ground. Breathing heavily Jonny watched and waited for the next blow—which came in the sound of a gun clicking. His head, and that of his two attackers turned in the direction of the stairwell where Jessie stood with a gun in her hands.

"Jessie?" Jonny shook his head. "What are you doing here—you're supposed to be out with your mom!"

"What, and miss all this?" Jessie slowly came to stand beside Jonny, her gun never leaving its pointed direction at the two men on the ground. "Mom dropped me off an hour ago—she had to meet a colleague at the museum for something. I've been in my room the entire time."

"Jesus Christ—why didn't you say anything? These fuckers were here to kill you!"

Jessie made a face. "Oh please, Quest. I'm not that popular. If Jade wanted me dead we both know she'd do the honors herself. It's you they want dead. Ah, ah, ah." Jessie's finger moved ever so slowly against the trigger as one of the men moved. He quickly stopped moving and gulped with fear.

Jonny gritted his teeth together but decided not to push the issue further in front of their attackers. All they needed was a break to re-launch their mission to nab one and kill the other, and Jonny wasn't going to give them that chance. He would deal with Jessie later.

"I'll call the cops," he stated warily, glancing down at the men and then back up at the red head. He didn't necessarily want to leave her alone with them and was saved the chance of having to do so as the front door opened, the lights flickered on, and Race entered the hallway.

"What the hell is going on here?" growled the man as he surveyed the scene before him.

**Somewhere Else Again**

"Immortality." Surd was thoughtful as he stared out the large glass panes of the room. His eyes barely saw the skyscrapers or the sunlight reflecting off of them. His mind was busy mulling over the word on his lips. "You are certain?"

"Of course," murmured Jade with a sly grin as she came to stand beside his wheelchair. "It can be all yours—what need to I have to be immortal? I only want certain others to get what they deserve—starting with the Quests, and ending with the Zins."

"If we do this there is no turning back."

"That's the whole idea."

"You think we can pull it off?"

"I've been planning something like this for many years now. Trust me; we can pull it off as long as we trust each other and no one else."

Surd was silent for several minutes. He clasped his hands together and brought them beneath his chin. "I'll do whatever it takes then."

"I had a feeling you would say that. First things first, Julia must go…"

Standing unobserved in the doorway Julia took a silent step away to retreat to the safe confines of the hallway. She had never liked Jade, and now she hated the other woman. Jade was planning the coup of a century and dragging Surd along with her…and Julia would not be a part of it.

She gritted her teeth together and turned to walk away. She would show Jade what it was like to double cross her and live to tell the tale. No one stole away her lover and got away with it. Not if Julia had something to do about it. She flipped open her phone and dialed a number.

"I'm looking for a girl."

**Quest Compound**

**Rockford, Maine**

"Well the security system has been completely disabled," sighed Race as he plopped down in a chair at the kitchen table. "And our little rats aren't talking. All we know is they came on behalf of Jade and came to kill either Jessie or Jonny and take the other."

"They won't say which one was which?" questioned Benton with a sigh.

"No, and Jonny and Jessie are upstairs arguing about it as we spea—" A loud crash from above made everyone at the table wince. There was the stomping of feet on the floorboards above and then the slamming of a door, and then another. "I think they just finished yelling at each other."

Grace shook her head. "Things only seem to be getting worse. We must get that stone back from the enemy."

"But how do we go about it?" murmured Estella. "They could be anywhere with it by now."

"We need to find the tomb it belongs in," stated Hadji. "Then we destroy it. Without the tomb the stone will not work anywhere else."

Benton groaned. "No archaeologist in their right mind is going to allow us to destroy something from the past—not with that much history and controversy surrounding it. We'll have to get the stone back and destroy it. No one wants it around anyway, so I'm fairly sure no one is going to miss it."

Race chuckled. "That gets my vote. We'll tackle Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum in the morning after they've had a nice night in prison. This time tomorrow they should be more than willing to talk about Jade and her plans."

The small group assembled at the table looked up at the sound of the doorbell in surprise. It was late in the evening by now and none could readily think up a single soul coming to bother them.

"I will get it," said Hadji getting to his feet before anyone else could move. He made his way through the entrance hall and pulled open the door. He frowned upon seeing nothing, but then his eyes traveled to the ground. A strangled cry arose from his throat as he caught sight of Anaya lying on the doorstep. She was unconscious and bleeding everywhere, her body practically lifeless. Hadji dropped to his knees, pulling off his jacket to wrap around her battered body. Behind him came footsteps.

"Jesus Christ!" Race vanished again, presumably back to find the phone as Grace and Estella joined Hadji on the doorstep to care for the beaten Asian woman. Benton stepped out onto the porch, his eyes barely able to tear themselves away from Anaya to search the grounds. Not even a breeze was stirring and that troubled him. How on earth did Anaya wind up on their doorstep?

**A/N—Oh ye of little faith…**


	14. Found

Disclaimer: No es mio, and that's a fact

**Disclaimer: **No es mio, and that's a fact.

**Chapter 14-Found**

**A/N: **Yes, this update took forever. Yes, you should hate me for it. No, I don't know when the next one will be. I've got a lot going on with school right now, so free time is virtually nonexistent. Keep up the reviews and nagging, and I will work my hardest to get the next chapter up sooner.

Now on with the story.

--

Jessie blew out a frustrated breath of air that sent her bangs flying upwards. She was seated on the floor of her room and her green eyes were currently searching high and low for a missing shirt…and not just any shirt, her favorite one that Jonny hated. Okay, so she really wasn't all that fond of the said shirt seeing as how it normally caught the attention of too many people, like boys, but today the red head was willing to make an exception. Things with Jonny were…fragile to say the least. Since the break-in the pair had resorted to not talking again, although this time it was Jonny refusing to speak to her. The argument they had had after the cops had shown up to take the attempted murderers away had ended in yet another stalemate. Jonny seemed convinced that Jessie's life had been in danger while Jessie had been positive that Jonny's own life was in danger. Go figure neither one could seem to agree on a compromise of sorts.

So now Jonny wasn't talking to Jessie and everyone in the compound was feeling the effects of it. Since the pair was still suspended from school things around the house were icy and Jessie was getting sick and tired of it. Everything between her and Jonny was wrong. They had been for months now and she had a feeling she knew the reason why. But like all teens before her Jessie was refusing to even think about it.

"Boys are stupid anyway." She pressed her hands against the floor to push herself to her feet when one hand landed on something unusual. With a cry of pain Jessie slipped, her shoulder ramming into the side post of her bed. Wincing, the red head clutched the object her hand had landed on and pulled it out from under the bed. Her eyes widened as a blood red ruby glittered in the daylight.

"Shit."

Downstairs Grace and Estella were deep in conversation, each with a coffee cup in their hands. Benton sat at the end of the table reading a newspaper while Race brewed a pot of coffee, and both Jonny and Hadji were silent as they ate their breakfasts, but each for a different reason. Hadji's mind was on the hospital every time he glanced up at the clock, waiting impatiently for it to turn ten so he could visit Anaya. He had been there the last couple of days sitting at her side during the entire length of visiting hours. She hadn't stirred from her coma once yet. Jonny, on the other hand, was busy ignoring the buzzing of his cell phone, not quite ready to pick up and deal with Samantha's tearful 'I miss you' blubber.

No one bothered to glance up as Jessie bounded down the stairs and came to a halt in front of the table. Jessie narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat. Benton glanced up in amusement and figured that she was trying to catch Jonny's attention. His eyes returned back to the newspaper in his hands…and then doubled back to Jessie. "Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed dropping the newspaper and jumping to his feet. At the sound of his cry the rest of the table looked up in time to see Benton rushing over to Jessie, his hands reaching out towards her outstretched palm, freezing only inches away.

"The Immortal Stone!" cried out Grace in shock. "Impossible!" She got to her feet as Estella pushed back her own chair.

"How…when…where?" questioned the red headed woman with concern evident in her eyes as she gazed at her daughter, unable to finish each question that she clearly wanted answered.

Jessie shrugged. "I found it under my bed. I think it fell there when I was unpacking after we got back from Mexico. Are you sure this thing is really full of magic powers, because it isn't doing anything to me. If you want my opinion it's nothing spectacular. Here." She tried to offer it to Grace but the Asian woman shook her head and took a couple of steps away from Jessie.

"I can't. That's the Immortal Stone and it seems as though you're the only one capable of touching it."

"Well that's a relief," stated Race dryly. "It proves she's still…whole."

Estella rolled her eyes. "What a way to put it," she murmured. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when she finally gets married."

"Who said she ever was?"

Jessie sighed. "Ye-ah, do you guys think you could take this away from me? The thing gives me the creeps and I'd rather not have to take with me everywhere for the rest of my life. Eventually prom's coming and I'd kind of like to not have to take the thing with me. It isn't exactly my kind of jewelry."

Benton nodded with a small gulp. "We can place it into the safe until we can call London and set up a return date." He motioned for Jessie to follow him, Grace trailing along as the pair left the kitchen. Estella took the brief interruption to grab Race by the arm and push him out the backdoor, and if her face was any indication she had a lot on her mind.

Jonny's eyes were glued to the hallway that Jessie had just vanished down, his mind turning over the sight of her with the jewel in her hands. She hadn't even looked like she cared that she was holding the most dangerous object in the world. Unconcerned and slightly annoyed were better descriptions of the look on her face…something that Jonny had always loved about her. His eyes widened at his thoughts and he could feel his face going pale. A buzz on his thigh returned him to the present. Standing up and sticking a hand into his pants pocket Jonny pulled out his cell phone and was answering it on his way to the living room.

Hadji watched his blonde friend leave the room, his head shaking from side to side to show his disapproval as to how Jonny and Jessie were handling their problems with one another. He was worried about them but wanted the pair to fix things themselves. They wouldn't always have Hadji around to take care of them and give them advice. He had other priorities in his life as well…and speaking of which it was just about time to go take care of one. Standing up Hadji took one last glance at the clock on his way towards the front door. If he left now he would make it just in time for hospital visiting hours to start.

**Later That Night**

Race crossed his arms and gave a long sideways glance to Estella who was standing beside him. She chose to ignore the look, which was really more of a glare, and instead stared straight ahead of her. The pair was currently standing at the bottom of the staircase of the Compound, neither one saying a word to the other. In truth they were both waiting for their daughter to emerge from upstairs, dressed and ready to go out to dinner with them. As it was, they had been standing there waiting for close to two hours now. Quite naturally it was Race that broke the silence.

"Stella," he started, his voice at a cross between irritated and concerned, "it's been _two_ hours now – maybe you should go up and check on her."

"She's fine, Race. Just because she's taking a little longer to get dressed doesn't mean a thing," replied Estella without bothering to look over at her ex-husband.

"Of course it doesn't." Making a face Race turned away in a huff, muttering under his breath, "It's a damn good thing I decided against making reservations."

Estella opened her mouth to say something unkind in return but her words were halted by Jessie herself as the teen came down the stairs in a pair of jeans and tee-shirt. The look on Jessie's face was more than enough for Estella to know that the girl was upset, but with Race already in a poor mood due to hunger she decided against prodding Jessie for an answer – an answer in which she felt she already knew.

"Can we go before guests start arriving? It'd be rude to meet and greet and run out the door like we want nothing to do with them," stated Jessie with a grim expression.

Race opened his mouth to point out that the one holding them back from leaving had been Jessie, but Estella was already pushing him towards the doorway, her eyes hinting that should a single dark word come out of his mouth he would be experiencing pain unlike any other, and despite the fact that Race was the ex-CIA agent, he was rather afraid of what his ex-wife would actually do to him should he not comply.

Jessie followed along behind them, her arms crossed in front of her chest and her eyes slightly downcast. She had only agreed to eat out with her parents this evening because Jonny had invited Samantha over for dinner to meet his father – naturally it was turning into a double date of sorts with Grace coming as well, and while Jessie knew Jonny would need watching in order to be nice to his father's love interest she was in no mood to deal with Samantha as well. It would be more than she could bear, and not because she was likely to cry, that simply wasn't the case. It was more likely that should Jessie stick around she would find something on the table to attack the blonde girl with – and spending the night in jail simply didn't appeal to her this evening, possibly because that would distance her from Jonny even further. Besides, she had already come to the conclusion that boys were stupid anyway. Why bother fighting over one when it was likely she could kick the other girl's ass and still manage to lose the guy?

As she stepped out onto the front porch her eyes flickered upwards at the flash of headlights. Her eyes darkened as she realized it was Jonny's car that had pulled up, which meant he had arrived with Samantha. Gritting her teeth Jessie had to restrain herself from brushing past her parents and into the car. She needed to get over seeing Jonny and Samantha together – that was the adult thing to do, and Jessie was going to be an adult about this … alright, maybe she would be an adult tomorrow. In her mind she was already plotting how to trip Samantha when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing upwards the teen opened her mouth in surprise as her mother gave a silent shake of her head. It seemed the older woman knew all too well how Jessie's mind worked. With a slight frown Jessie allowed herself to be led to the car, opening the back door and slipping inside without bothering to look in Jonny's direction.

Jonny in the meantime was getting out of the car, his own face set in a strained expression as he watched Jessie and her parents get into the other vehicle. He knew their broken friendship was of his doing this time around, though it was much easier to simply blame Jessie for it. He couldn't help be worried about her however, even if she was with her parents this evening. He had half been hoping she and the Bannons would stick around for dinner, especially since Grace was going to be showing up, but Estella had quickly decided that she wanted to eat out with her beloved daughter and get the scoop on Race's poor parenting skills – which had been more than enough for Race to step in and demand he attend as well, if only to keep Jessie from spilling the beans about too many adventures he had been trying to keep from his ex.

"Jonny?"

The blonde turned with a blank expression on his face as the voice dug through the thoughts running around his mind. "What?" he asked. "Oh, sorry, Samantha – I sort of spaced out for a moment."

Samantha was clearly annoyed by that if the fact that her hands were now on her hips was any indication behind her mood now. Jonny sighed and quickly moved around the car to where she had helped herself out after seeing that her boyfriend had been much too caught up with watching Jessie and her parents take off. She had been half afraid that they would be joining them for dinner, but seeing the car drive off had done more than relieve the blonde girl's fears. It didn't matter that she had Jonny as a boyfriend – he still lived with Jessie, and no one, herself included, could deny the fact that there was something between Jonny and Jessie that no one else would be able to break. It was almost depressing, and being the hardcore romantic she was Samantha should have stepped back long ago to make way for what was more than likely a love story in the making, but the fact of the matter was that Samantha hated Jessie with a passion, and she was not about to lose Jonny, or any boy, to the red head. Not now and not ever.

She waited expectantly for Jonny to come to her side, taking his arm without bothering for him to offer it to her. A friend had already mentioned a while back that while Jonny was certainly good looking, he was still a step back from the usual guys that Samantha dated. She usually went with guys that adored her without question, opened doors and put down the coats over a puddle of water so she wouldn't get dirty … Jonny wasn't quite like any of them, and yet here she was about to attend dinner with him and his father. One would think she was striving for a future with the boy when it was really only to stay one step ahead of Jessie and their petty rivalry.

As the pair walked up the front porch and into the house Samantha took a deep breath, preparing herself to be the epitome of the perfect girlfriend. In her head she was only thinking one thing. _Let's see you top this, Jessie Bannon._

**Across Town**

Race eyed Jessie critically as she seemed entranced by the menu in front of her. Something was going on and he would be damned if he didn't find out what it was. Yet every time he opened his mouth to ask Estella would shoot him the darkest of looks, which would immediately shut him up. It was something of a conspiracy theory against him. He had every right to know what was troubling his daughter – especially if it had something to do with Jonny, because at this very moment the one reason behind her unhappiness was not a thought he wanted to be true, even if he did love Jonny like a son. Well, perhaps Jonny was a couple of notches higher than all other males on the planet, but that didn't mean Race wanted the boy to date his daughter … or anything else remotely related to her. It was bad enough raising him – but what if the pair got married and had kids? It would be a royal disaster … and grandkids? Oh no, Race wasn't ready to even _consider_ grandkids.

His eyes moved upwards as the waiter appeared, clearly waiting for their orders. "Uh, I'll have the Peking duck," stated Race as he shut his menu.

Estella pursed her lips together, obviously making a last minute decision. If he knew her like he was pretty sure he did she was wavering between Mongolian beef and chicken lo mein, and she would more than likely choose shrimp fried rice. That was the way it had always been when they had eaten out together in the past. "I'll take the shrimp fried rice."

Race smirked in triumph as he turned to Jessie, wondering what she would choose since the teen had the horrible habit of picking something different on every outing – usually not liking it and taking his meal instead. All eyes centered on Jessie, but the teen seemed oblivious to their gazes, her eyes unfocused on the menu in front of her. Apparently her mind was miles away. Clearing his throat, Race spoke softly, "Jessie? What do you want to eat, Ponchita?"

Jessie blinked in surprise and glanced up at her father, her eyes clearly troubled. "I have to use the restroom, excuse me," she murmured, her words barely audible. Race felt his mouth fall open and he moved to follow her when he felt Estella place a hand on his arm. She shook her head and turned to the waiter, asking for another order of Peking duck. Race waited until the waiter had gone before speaking again.

"Stella, there's something wrong with our daughter."

"Leave her be, Race. She's going to be just fine."

"But – "

"No buts. She just needs some time."

"You better not be telling me what I think you're telling me."

"And what if I am?"

"Jesus, Stell, she's our daughter!"

"And practically an adult. Race, you can't keep her from growing up."

"But Jonny?"

"My father said the same thing about you."

"That was different."

"No it wasn't, it was worse. You came with a history; Jonny and Jessie share the same history."

"They're teens."

"And you're in denial."

"I am not in denial, I just think it wouldn't be healthy – "

"And raising her with Jonny was healthy then?"

"I – it – you – aw man, you always win, don't you?"

A smile appeared on Estella's face as Race seemed to deflate in the midst of their minor argument. She had expected that from the beginning. Having known Race for so long now had made the woman a bit of an expert on him and how his mind worked. It usually took a while, but eventually the man would come around in the end. She knew what he really wanted was some assurance that Jessie would return to normal soon and that she and Jonny would stay friends, but she knew she couldn't ally those fears, at least not now. Estella wasn't at all sure how things would end up between Jonny and Jessie, and she was slightly worried about it. The two had resorted to taking their anger out in the oddest of ways lately – that fight at school for instance had been completely absurd and out of the blue, and now the silence. What had once been thought of as puppy love was obviously much more than that. It wasn't that Estella was at all surprised by the change in the relationship between Jonny and Jessie – she had always known they would fall for one another eventually, but to fall so hard like this was quite unnerving. It was as though they had skipped the puppy love and gone straight to the deep love that was the basis of any relationship, and their status as teens was wrecking havoc on what was likely to be an intense relationship – damn hormones.

"They're adults," said Estella with a soft sigh, her shoulders moving in a shrug. "We have to let them handle this on their own, no interference on our parts."

"You know that isn't how I like it."

"No, but Jessie would never forgive us if we stepped in and meddled. She's more like you than you think, Roger. This is her fight, let her fight it."

"Fine – but that doesn't mean I won't worry about her."

"I wouldn't expect any less of you," agreed Estella with another small grin on her face.

Race chuckled, his face softening. "I've missed this."

"What?"

"Co-parenting without fighting. We used to do it, remember?"

"You mean before our daughter turned thirteen and blossomed over night, giving you a heart attack?"

"I wasn't that bad."

"Mmm, I seem to recall a phone call in which you asked why Jessie was suddenly developing in certain places."

"She was thirteen!"

"You knew she had to grow up some time, Race. What did you expect, that she would stay five forever?"

"It would have been nice," admitted Race ruefully. "I miss those days, when she wasn't rebellious and you and I … well … "

"Our relationship has never been ordinary, Race. We had so little in common when we married – and we hadn't even been together all that long."

"Six months."

"We were young and foolish – "

"I wouldn't go back and change a thing," stated Race firmly. Estella eyed him carefully, her eye knitted together as she studied him.

"Neither would I," she murmured after a moment.

"I never meant to hurt you, Stell – Jade – "

Estella shook her head, though her face didn't take on the usual angry look it normally did when Jade's name was mentioned. "Don't. That woman is good at conning even the most loyal of people – I doubt even the Pope would be able to withstand her charm. I won't say it didn't hurt, because it did, but it's been so long now … it's in the past, and I for one am tired of living in the past."

"It wasn't all bad. We had some good times together."

"We did."

Race studied Estella, their eyes locking and neither saying a word. Then, very carefully, Race reached across to run a hand along her face, cupping her cheek. "I've missed you … you have no idea how much I've missed you."

"Why Race Bannon, I do believe you're growing sentimental in your old age."

"I love you, Stella."

"And I've always loved you." Estella gave him a teary eyed smile as he reached up to cradle the hand that was on her cheek.

"Do you think we can start over?"

"I'd like that very much."

As Race and Estella reopened a door in their relationship, their daughter stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her eyes boring into themselves as she gazed at her own vision. She had retreated to the restroom in hopes of splashing water on her face and snapping herself out of the funk she was in, but it was to no avail. Jessie couldn't seem to get past the fact that something new was developing within her – an intense jealousy of Samantha of all people. It was a terrible thing to admit, and it was even worse knowing that it was because of Jonny she was feeling this way. He had to be dating the blonde cheerleader and not speaking to Jessie all at the same time, didn't he? God forbid could he date someone normal, or even man up to whatever the hell was going on with them. Hell, it would have been nice if Jessie could admit to herself what was going on.

"I just want to be over this," she muttered to herself, her eyes fluttering shut as she gripped the counter edge. "I want to wake up and find this is just some dream and that everything is okay between us. I can't feel this way … it isn't like me … it isn't right … I … " Her eyes flew open, tears evident as she gazed at herself once more. "Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? He's my friend – he's supposed to be my brother! When did sisterly affection turn into … _this_?"

The teen whimpered as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. She didn't want to admit it, because admitting it would mean only make reality a little more inevitable for what it truly was – a pain filled world with nothing but heartache. And it was more than just the fact that Jonny was dating Samantha, it was the fact that this unresolved issue between them was likely not the silly school girl crush she would like it to be.

"Oh god, no … " Jessie's eyes widened as she realized where her thoughts were heading. "No … that's impossible … I can't … I don't … oh my god, I love him. I am so dead." She continued to shake her head, denial trying its best to keep itself in full rein of her thoughts, but the more she shook it the more Jessie realized that was exactly how she felt about Jonny. She loved him – and it wasn't the sisterly love one would expect after living with him for so many years, nor was it the affectionate love one had for a friend – this was something much deeper and less pure than all that – this was love in its entirety, and it scared Jessie more than anything else in the world.

And with that revelation didn't come a sigh of relief or a load off her shoulders. If anything, Jessie grew angrier and more frustrated than she had originally been. Her jaw tightened as she clenched her teeth together, her eyes going back to the mirror in front of her. Of all the dumb things to go and do she had fallen in love with her best friend – the stupid idiot that was currently dating the school bimbo. He didn't love her – not if he was with someone else and able to not speak to her, never mind the fact that Jessie had been the one to initiate the silence the first time around they had decided not to speak to each other – that was hardly the point. The point was that she was in love with the last person on the planet that she currently wanted to be in love with.

Shaking her head Jessie acted without thinking through her actions, anger taking a hold of her mind. Her hand balled into a fist and shot forward, shattering the mirror in front of her, causing the woman that had entered to let out a loud scream, which was more than enough to get Race and Estella moving in the direction of the women's restroom.

**Rockport Hospital**

Hadji was seated beside Anaya's bedside, his hands clasped together as he studied her sleeping frame. She had yet to wake from her coma, though the nurses had done nothing but assure him that she was going to be fine once she woke up again. The assurances had done little to relieve his mind. Anaya had taken a beating unlike any other – even Race had been grim at the sight of her battered body on their doorstep, and he was the former CIA agent who had seen more bodies dead than alive.

He sighed forlornly as his eyes strayed over to the machine that Anaya was currently hooked up to. He needed to assure himself that all was well; otherwise he was likely to lose his mind. His attention shifted at the sound of a footfall entering the room, his eyes going over to meet that of Corbin's as the older man nodded in greeting.

"How is she?" he asked.

Hadji looked back at Anaya before answering. "The same as yesterday," he said. "There is no change."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Hadji. The girl's a Zin – they're been trained by some of the best. It'll take more than a beating to take her out."

"I hope you are right, but in the meantime I cannot help but worry about her. What if the attacker returns to finish the job?"

"I doubt it. If they had wanted to finish the job they would have done it the first time through rather than let someone drop her off at the house."

"I suppose there is logic in that," agreed Hadji with a small nod of his head. "I only wish that she would awaken soon. I am very worried."

Corbin glanced down at the younger man with a sad smile on his face. It was touching that Hadji truly cared for Anaya in the way that he did – it was reminiscent of undying devotion … love of sorts despite their opposing viewpoints, though Corbin suspected that Anaya was trying to change. Rather than speak, Corbin allowed silence to fill the room, the only actual sound being that of the machine beeping every other second.

He wasn't all that sure why he had come, possibly to check on Anaya and assure himself that she was still alive as well. He had a feeling he knew who had instigated the beating, and while he wasn't all that surprised behind it he was hoping the Asian woman would awaken and give some more insight as to what exactly was going on, and what the cause behind the breakup of dynamics between the Zins, Surd, and Rage. Well, in truth he really wanted to know what the real reason, other than that damn Immortal Stone, was uniting them together this time around. There were so many twists and turns' going around that Corbin was starting to think soap operas would be easier to understand.

A few minutes passed and Corbin was ready to say his farewell to Hadji and return to the office for the evening, possibly dropping the boy off at the Compound as visiting hours would be drawing to a close shortly. And, just as he was about to open his mouth and suggest this, a soft sound like that of a moan caught his attention, and that of Hadji's. Both men glanced over at Anaya whose lips were moving soundlessly. Without needing to speak the males moved to either side of her bed, leaning closer in hopes of catching what she said. Another minute passed by and finally a word was made audible.

"J – Jade."

**Quest Compound**

Jonny used his fork to poke at the peas on his plate. His mood had gone from bad to worse since his own arrival at the compound. For starters, Samantha was really laying it on thick with his father. She was actually acting as though she were interested in his job and the like – and Jonny knew for a fact that for every answer his father gave the blonde girl was completely at a loss as to what it all meant. She was simply nodding and smiling along to Benton at this point, which was fine by Jonny. He was too busy trying to figure out how to remedy his current situation with Jessie. He hated not talking to her – she was the voice of reason he normally turned to in things like his father and Grace, though he knew she was all for his father dating again.

The teen couldn't quite put his finger on the reason why his father and Grace bothered him so much. He was figuring that it had something to do with the fact that they had apparently dated before his mother had come into the picture, and that they were so easily picking back up from where they had left off. How could his father forget about his mother so easily like that? It didn't matter that it had been a number of years since Rachel Quest's death, his father was a widow, and in Jonny's eyes that was how Benton was supposed to stay, otherwise it wasn't true love.

And it was that thought alone that made everything crystal clear for Jonny. If his father couldn't stay true to his mother, than what was to keep Jonny true to Jessie, because surely he cared for her more than he should … and should anything happen, like a break up, well, what was to keep them friends after that? Nothing. Their relationship would be completely shattered for good, and that was the last thing in the world that Jonny wanted. He needed Jessie more than anyone else in his life, and if the only way to keep her was to be solely friends, then that was exactly what he was going to do, and nothing was going to make him change his mind.

Across the table Grace was feeling the unease with which Jonny was providing. She had known that he hadn't been all that pleased when it had come out that she and Benton had a tie in the past with one another, but Grace had been hoping that after some time together Jonny would open up to her and they could grow to respect one another … but thus far that seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream. A quick glance over at Benton and the archeologist knew that he was sensing the same thing … and that sooner or later it would cause more than a little unease in their relationship. She had never intended to pit father and son against one another, but surely that was what was happening the longer she stuck around.

Oh, she could pretend that much of it was to do with Jessie and all that was going on with her and Jonny, but Grace knew that whatever was going on there was only a small part of what would inevitably come out between Benton and Jonny. She wanted no part of it … she couldn't have a part in it. It would be more than she could bear, especially considering she and Rachel had been such close friends once upon a time. And it was with this thought that Grace knew what she had to do. Letting out a soft sigh that was missed by all she took the napkin from her lap and placed it atop the table, pushing back her seat as she cleared her throat to speak.

"I'm afraid I need to be going … I just remembered something important that I have to take care of."

Benton glanced up with a quizzical expression on his face. He pushed his own chair up, hastening after Grace as she exited the room. Samantha frowned and turned to Jonny, but he too was getting up out of his seat to see what was going on, curiosity and hope getting the better of him. Jonny followed along slowly, not wanting to be seen or heard, eventually pausing behind the door to the hallway to eavesdrop on his father and Grace.

Benton ran a hand through his head as Grace gathered her things. "I don't understand, Grace. What's so important?"

"Your son is," stated the woman softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Benton, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything were to come between you and your son, especially if that thing were me. Rachel wouldn't want this … and neither do I. He's your son, Benton, and clearly he doesn't approve of us. It's probably for the best anyway, don't you think? There was a reason we never got together so long ago, fate had other things in store for us, and frankly, I'll be damned if I try to change things just because I feel a certain way about you. I can't do this – not when it's hurting someone else."

Benton opened his mouth to protest, but Grace shook her head, turning in the direction of the door. "I'll call you when I hear back from London, Benton. Thank you for everything though. I'll remember it for always."

Jonny turned away from the door as he heard the front door open and close with a soft click. He knew his father would stay there for a while, choosing to pull himself together before returning to the dining room. The teen slowly headed in that direction himself, his emotions torn. Grace and his father were no longer going to be together … and while Jonny knew this was exactly what he had wanted, all he could remember was the look upon his father's face as Grace had broken things off. It had been one of pure hurt, a hurt that Jonny knew all too well … and if it had been what he thought it had been then this was quite possibly the worst moment of his life – for it would be Jonny Quest that had torn his father from the woman he loved.


	15. Round Two

**Disclaimer – **as much as I would like to say this is mine, it really isn't.

--

**Chapter 15 – Round Two**

When the days are long it is said that the nights are longer. Jessie was quickly becoming a firm believer in this mantra. The red head was fairly positive this night was going to be one for the books, and not in the good way. For one thing she was spending it with three others, two of which she simply wanted to strangle and dispose of their bodies in the first ditch she happened across. That was fairly mild in comparison to her earlier thoughts of simply running people down with the first car she managed to hotwire, which would probably be a police car if she didn't get home soon. Unfortunately that was the sole reason for the night dragging out as it was.

Jessie had awoken that morning to a knock on her door. For a minute she had simply laid there ignoring the knock in hopes that whoever it was, either her mother or father, would get the hint she was still sleeping off the pain medicine she had been dosed with before going to bed the night before due to a little mishap with a restroom mirror – which had totally jumped out at her by the way. Unfortunately the person on the other side of the door had gone for the persistent route rather than retreat, which forced the teen out of the comfort of her bed and over to the door. With half a mind to lash out at her parental unit, whichever one it turned out to be, Jessie was thoroughly unprepared to find Jonny standing on the other side of her doorway.

To say that it was a pleasant surprise would be a lie. If anything Jessie was fairly sure she had scowled at the blonde teen and there might have been a last ditch effort to shut the door in his face, but as already stated the pain medicine from the night before was still very much in her system, and Jessie's bandaged fist was still hurting, which made it rather difficult to shut said door in the face of one Jonny Quest.

On Jonny's behalf it couldn't be said that he was entirely thrilled to be knocking on Jessie's door either. His main fear lay in the possibility of Jessie decking him a good one yet again, even with an injury to her good arm. He had heard, albeit through rather sneaky means, all about Jessie's little mirror escapade from the night before. He knew her parents were worried about her mental well being, something Jonny had scoffed at if only because Jessie was the last person to worry about getting a mental breakdown. He was pretty sure she was still pissed him for one reason or another.

So while Jonny was generally concerned when it came to Jessie and mirrors and, well, Jessie in general, that was not the reason for his visit to her bedroom. The person he was more worried about was Hadji, and considering Jessie was friends with Hadji as well Jonny had come in hopes of getting some help on the matter.

"Quest," murmured Jessie crossing her arms.

"Bannon," returned Jonny just as coolly, his back still facing her. She had just initiated the cold shoulder routine they had been flirting with the last few weeks, giving Jonny all the reasons in the world to follow up on it. If she didn't want to play nice then he didn't either. Besides, Jonny was growing a headache from trying to decipher Jessie's actions on any level these days. He wasn't even positive he knew how to decipher his own actions let alone anyone else's. Well, Samantha was fairly simple, but that lay in the fact that she was a fairly simple creature to begin with, as much as Jonny hated to admit. He had always sworn to himself that he would stay as far away from simple minded girls as possible whenever he started the whole dating game; it was a shame he hadn't followed through on that promise to himself. It probably would have staved off a whole world of problems with Jessie, but it really was no use crying of lost causes and the like. Jonny was on a mission.

With a sigh Jessie made herself act as civil as possible. She tried telling herself it was because she was the better person, but it was more or less because she seriously wanted to crawl back into bed. One wouldn't know it by looking at a mirror, but they hit back like a bitch. Stitches were still a possibility if the wound didn't stop bleeding every time Jessie stretched a single finger. "Out with it."

"It's about Hadji."

At this Jessie actually blinked in surprise before guilt swept in. The last few days she had been so focused on Jonny and Samantha that she hadn't really thought about Hadji, and she knew for a fact that this was one of the times when he needed his friends more than ever.

In speaking Jonny had turned around to face Jessie in time to see the guilt flash through her eyes as she focused on the floor rather unsteadily. He knew exactly how she felt about the entire matter. That was how Jonny had woken up that morning – guilt heavy and worried as hell about his best friend and brother. "He's been sitting around Anaya's bedside since she was taken to the hospital – he eats, he sleeps, he sits … he isn't talking to me or you. He's barely talking at this point."

"He's worried about her," stated Jessie gently.

"And I'm worried about him. Hadji's taking this really hard, Jess. He needs us."

"We've been so caught up in being mad at each other we've ignored him."

"Yeah." Jonny's voice was soft, his eyes now focused on the ground as well rather than the teen girl in front of him. What he really wanted to do was reach out and pull her into his arms to never let go, but knowing Jessie as well as he did, and due to the past experience with their first two kisses, Jonny knew his efforts wouldn't be well received. Jessie needed time to cool off just as Jonny needed time to clear his head.

"So what do we do, Hotshot?"

Jonny's head moved upwards rather quickly at the usage of Jessie's nickname for him. He could see by the look in her eyes he was hardly forgiven for past sins, but she did seem to be making an effort to put things aside for Hadji. That was better than nothing at this point. "I was thinking of dragging Hadji out to see a movie tonight – you know, just the three of us like old times?"

Jessie pursed her lips together before nodding in agreement. "I think that's a good idea."

Of course the good idea had quickly morphed into a bad one by the time it came time to drag Hadji away from Anaya's bedside and out on the town for the evening. Jonny had inadvertently let Samantha know about the whole cheering Hadji up business only to invite herself, possibly to keep an eye on Jessie and make it well known Jonny was hers and hers alone. By then it was too late for Jessie to back out on the deal and she had been resigned to watch Jonny and Samantha cuddle at the movies. Well, it had mostly been Samantha doing the cuddling, though Jessie hadn't been too busy watching them as much as she had been busy coaxing Hadji that he didn't need to call and check in with the hospital every five minutes. In the end she finally stole his wallet and stuffed it in Jonny's pocket with a dark glare informing him that the giving up of the wallet would result in a slow and painful death. Some good had come out of it – like Jessie finding an altogether lovely place to stick her gum once she had finished with it.

"Did you really have to stick gum in her hair?" questioned Jonny with a sigh as he massaged his temples. Samantha was currently in the theater restroom washing out the gum she had found in her hair only moments after the credits had begun showing.

Jessie shrugged in reply, her eyes centered in the same direction as Jonny. Hadji was standing at the pay phone making the first phone call to the hospital he had been allowed to make since fifteen minutes into the movie.

"Jess."

"She had it coming, Quest, move on. I have."

"Would it kill you to be nice?"

"It just might."

A wry smile appeared on Jonny's face at Jessie's comment, his amusement stemming from the stubborn look on Jessie's face. Things were still fragile between them at the moment, but there seemed to be something of a mend on the rise. Perhaps their united front in regards to Hadji was bringing it about, or possibly something else was afoot, but either way the pair were slowly but surely resorting to old times if their current bantering was any indication of it.

For Jessie Hadji was of the utmost importance now. Getting him back on his feet came before some silly infatuation she held for Jonny and the hatred she felt for his girlfriend. In truth she was resigning herself to the fact that this would be one of those unrequited love types of relationships that they had watched one too many times on television. Oh, this wasn't to say she was going to just bury the hatchet with Samantha, but honestly, if Jonny was going to claim to be attracted to the blonde bimbo in the first place he obviously had really bad taste in women, right? Alright, so it was only a minor consolation to Jessie, but at this point in time it was better than moping around and plotting all sorts of unpleasant ends to Samantha. Okay, it was better than just moping. Jessie rather liked plotting Samantha's demise every time the cheerleader turned around to gloat. It was almost therapeutic, though the real deal would be just turning around and hitting her in the nose, but Jessie wasn't fully up for another fight with anyone at the moment. Her hand was beginning to ache again, and as much as she hated to admit it, Jessie was in some serious need of Tylenol.

In Jonny's case the mend was a result of him not letting much of what Jessie did get to him. Samantha was beginning to get pissed over that part, but he wasn't quite sure what to tell her other than no girl was worth losing a friend over, even if that friend happened to be a girl as well. Truthfully Samantha's antics were beginning to bother him, and while it wasn't a characteristically good thing on his behalf, Jonny couldn't help but recall the sole reason for giving Samantha the time of day – he had been doing it in an effort to stop thinking about Jessie in a not so pure manner, but by doing so he had only made Jessie the only thought in his mind on a regular basis, thoroughly destroying his peace of mind. But breaking up wasn't something Jonny was very good at, and he really didn't think it was fair of him to do considering Samantha seemed to really like him, at least as far as Jonny could tell she did. Women weren't generally one of Jonny's best subjects. It was the only reason he wished he had a mother figure in his life to help guide him around girls. He had thought about asking Estella once before, but seeing how she and Race interacted and comparing it to him and Jessie had left Jonny with the impression he was doing everyone a favor by not asking her for help. He would rather suffer through it than end up analyzing himself and Jessie any time. Jonny was sure he wouldn't like what he saw anyway. Besides, now wasn't about him and Jessie; it had nothing to do with him and Jessie. It was all about Hadji.

The pair breathed in relief as Hadji hung up the phone and made his way back to them in silence. While it was rather depressing to see their friend in such a down mood they were glad to avoid further conversation with one another. Jonny reached out to place a hand on one of Hadji's shoulders as Jessie did the same with the other shoulder.

"Hadji," started Jessie, her voice striving to be neutral, "you really need to stop beating yourself up over this whole thing. What happened to Anaya wasn't your fault. I'm sure if she were awake she'd tell you the same thing. There's more to the story than we can see."

"Jessie's right, Hadji. We don't even have much to see yet – you need to relax and breathe easy."

"Jonny, he's worried about a person, not preparing to have a baby."

"Meditation, Jessie."

"Hmph. You suck at describing it."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Don't make me hit you, Hotshot."

"Just try it, Ace. Twenty bucks says you can't do any real damage with that bum arm of yours."

"Oh ye of little faith."

A chuckle from Hadji brought Jonny and Jessie back to the present, their eyes moving away from the dagger eyed glares they had resorted to in order to eye their friend. There was a genuine smile on Hadji's face as he clasped the shoulders of his friends. "You two are the best of friends I could have ever asked for. Thank you. Come, let us collect Samantha and find some ice cream. There is a shop on the other side of the park that has all eighty-one flavors if I do recall correctly."

With a grin on her own face Jessie tucked her arm into Hadji's. "You are so my new favorite person, Hadji. Ice cream solves everything."

Shaking his own head in amusement Jonny followed along at a slower rate, calling out to Samantha who was still inside the restroom. "We're leaving, Sam!"

**Nearby**

She had never been bested in all her life. From early on in her childhood she had always been the best – it didn't matter what the subject was, she excelled at all she did. It was possibly good genes. Her mother had the looks, her father the brains. Their union had resulted in her, and even though their own relationship had ended rather badly it had never reflected poorly on her. Her parents had only made her half of what she was today. The other half had been pieced together after years of shaping herself into the person she wanted to be.

She had no real qualms about herself. So she wasn't at all the girl she had started out as. No one ever stayed the same, and if they did they obviously had no life. But she had a life. She had various aspects to her life to be more truthful. She loved, she hated, she worked, she did nothing, she did everything, she slept, she ate, she moved. She was everything and she was nothing at the same time. She had perfected the art of womanhood in her own eyes; none could do it better than she. None could come close to touching her – everyone that did ended up badly off. That was how it had always been.

But this time around things were different. She had actually lost. It would have been no concern of hers had it been something minor, and to some it may seem that what she had lost was minor indeed, but in her eyes it was the worst loss of all. It was two losses in one. Perhaps this loss had torn something within her, twisting her darkened heart even further, for now she was more than ruthless, she was determined. Losing was not in her vocabulary. It never had been and it never would be. She was going to cross out this mark on her name once and for all – she was going to win at all costs possible, and she wanted the person that had beat her to know it.

Obsession is hardly a laughing matter, which is why Jezebel Jade is not laughing.

She was in this for the long haul.

**Back**

"Gum, Jessica Bannon. Gum. Do you know how much it's going to cost me to get my hairdresser to fix the mess you've made?" Samantha was highly irritated, and even halfway through the park she was letting the whole world know that she was irritated. The person with whom she was irritated naturally didn't seem to give a damn what the blonde girl thought of her. She was still three feet ahead of Samantha ignoring her every word.

Or perhaps not.

"I'll give you ten dollars to let me cut your hair, Samantha. I'll have all that gum out in no time," replied Jessie breezily. So far spending the evening with Samantha around hadn't been _too _horrible, but Jessie wasn't about to go about repeating it ever again.

"That is anything but funny, Jessica."

"Hmm, and yet I honestly don't care."

"You've ruined my hair!"

"Ruined is such a strong word. I'm going to opt for changed here. That seems like a better fit since you'll have to get a whole new style done to get all that gunk out – but just think, next time you'll know to stop flipping your hair in my face."

Samantha's eyes narrowed at the back of Jessie's head, her hands clutching Jonny's arm just a tad tighter as if to ward off whatever spell the red head might cast over Jonny while she wasn't looking … or even looking. At this point in time Samantha wouldn't put anything past Jessie.

With a sigh Jonny simply resigned himself to watching Samantha in case the blonde female decided to lunge out at Jessie. He wasn't sure if she would, but he was fairly certain Hadji was keeping Jessie under restraint so she wouldn't turn around and attack Samantha. Anything was possible at this point.

Jessie grimaced but didn't bother turning around. She was tired and in pain and craving three scoops of chocolate ice cream. If it was that time of the month she'd be relieved seeing as how frustration was never quite good when it led to blowing a fuse – something in which Jessie felt she was about to do at any moment. It was more than just frustration, the teen was beginning to feel antsy, and she wasn't sure why. The only time she ever felt antsy was when it seemed as though something were about to happen – or her senses were on edge. Of course if it really was that time of the month she could put it off at frayed nerves due to dealing with Samantha for far too long, but that seemed to be happening too regularly for Jessie to really feel antsy so often, right?

Too right.

Jessie felt her feet freeze at the sound of footsteps coming from the woods surrounding the park. Of all the things to have, Rockport just had to have woods around their park path. It was almost designed for trouble in that way, and tonight trouble was making its appearance in the bodily form of Jade. Almost immediately Jessie felt herself gritting her teeth as she and her companions were forced to come to an abrupt halt, finding themselves rather surrounded as men emerged from the shadows.

"Hello, Jonny," murmured Jade, her voice practically a purr as her eyes narrowed in on the trembling blonde on Jonny's arm. This wasn't quite what she had expected to find, and Jade had to say the turn of events wasn't any more welcome than her first fear of Jessie and Jonny being cozy with one another. Actually, while this wasn't welcome, it was rather amusing. It seemed Jade wasn't the only one that had lost – yet that was beside the point. The entire purpose of this expedition was to crush Jessie and the rest of the Quest clan in any way possible. The blonde girl was only a minor setback, one that would easily be taken care of.

"Look what the cat brought in," muttered Jessie. "I should have known you wouldn't have given up that easily."

Jade's eyes flickered over to Jessie, giving the teen a glimpse at the manic hunger that lay behind the older woman's. "I never lose, Jessica, you of all people should be well aware of that. I stole your father from you and your mother before you could even talk – I _always _get what I want, even if I don't have any use for it."

"So long as I can still think of you as part time slut with a passion for insanity I really don't give a damn what comes out of your mouth at this point."

"Jess," hissed Jonny, his own eyes taking note of the wild look in Jade's eyes, "pissing her off isn't going to make things better here." It was more than pissing Jade off, it was pissing Jade off with Jessie injured. Now, he supposed he ought to be worried about everyone considering they were surrounded by men that seemed anything but reasonable, but Jonny knew all too well the vendetta Jessie and Jade held with one another. It was as though neither could be happy while the other was alive, and that scared Jonny more than anything. Jessie was in no condition to be fighting tonight, and he wasn't sure how well he would stack up in protecting her as well as Samantha who was clinging to his arm.

"Speak for yourself, Hotshot. Jade knows I adore her."

With a snort Jade said, "You aren't any concern to me, Bannon. You're no longer a threat."

It didn't take a genius to figure out just what Jade meant by her words. Jessie for one caught the meaning straight away. She wasn't sure about anyone else, but to her it was practically a war cry even as it was a brush off. The red head didn't like the thought of Jade knowing she had lost Jonny as well, especially to someone like Samantha who really had nothing going for her other than looks. At the same time Jessie was actually afraid – for Samantha of all people. She already knew about Jade's wrath from personal experience and even that fight on the boat in Mexico had been a little more than she was used to, meaning Jessie knew her match when she met one, and there was no way in hell Samantha stood a chance against Jade. As much as Jessie disliked the blonde she wasn't cold hearted enough to let her go up against Jade one on one. Guilt wasn't something the teen wanted to deal with for the rest of her life.

Her head glanced up as a pair of hands came down on her shoulders, gripping them in such a manner Jessie couldn't help the wince from appearing on her face. A quick glance around showed her that the rest of the group was undergoing the same treatment, save for Samantha. The poor blonde had been left free and as a result was frozen to her spot, her eyes wide with fear as Jade approached.

"Hello Princess, I see you're Jonny's new plaything. I'm afraid tonight will be your last night in that coveted role, for Jonny is going to be taking a little trip," cooed Jade.

"Like hell I am," stated Jonny firmly.

Jade ignored him, her eyes studying Samantha. "You really are a pretty little thing. I can see why Jonny finds himself interested in you."

"Oh, for the love of god." Jessie's low mutter caught the attention of the man holding onto her, forcing his eyes to peer down at the teenage girl only to meet her fingertips dead on. Giving a howl of pain the man instantly let go of Jessie, his hands going to his eyes in pain. Jade knew she only had one chance to act and without really thinking about it let her fist loose, only to find it blocked by a bandaged fist. Jessie let out a small smirk. "Hi, Jade, remember me?"

"You aren't a threat, Bannon."

"Oh, but I am. Get rid of Princess here and I win, plain and simple. As far as you should be concerned, Jade, I will _always _be a threat to you. In case you've forgotten, it was you that destroyed my parents' marriage. I never really got to thank you for all those years of anguish – so let's start with that, huh? Then we can move up to the here and now of the princess."

"And what makes you think you can hold your own against me, Bannon?" Jade's eyes moved down to the bandage around Jessie's wrist.

"I'm twice the woman you'll ever be."

Jade snapped, her eyes blazing in anger as she sent her other fist flying in the direction of Jessie's face. Trained to follow instinct Jessie was ready for the fist, blocking it with her other arm as she maneuvered herself completely in front of Samantha, edging the blonde cheerleader back a few feet. Rather than wait for the next attack Jessie took the next punch, her injured fist flying forward in an effort to connect with some portion of Jade's face, but it was blocked almost as easily as Jade's had been. As the two exchanged and blocked punches and kicks Jonny worked his way free, rendering two of the men immobile in the nether regions. Several of the men began to move in his direction as Jonny encircled an arm around Samantha's waist, his eyes going over to Hadji who was currently wiping his hands of filth that had come off his own attacker in the process of getting free as well.

"Jessie!" Jonny let go of Samantha, twirling her in the direction of Hadji. The blonde girl didn't bother protesting, instead wrapping her arms around Hadji's neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Everything that was going on around her was more than the girl could bear and all she really wanted was for it to simply go away and leave her in peace again. If this was what it was like to date someone like Jonny Quest then she would gladly let Jessie have him. Danger was not her middle name, nor should it be remotely linked to her in any shape or form. It was high time she dated Brad anyway – he _was _the quarterback of the football team after all, and her a cheerleader. Who could ask for a more perfect match?

Hearing Jonny call her name Jessie knew the cards were back in their favor – but only if they managed to get away from their current position. Unfortunately Jessie wasn't about to let go of this chance to take Jade out, even if she really couldn't inflict much damage. It was working wonders on all the built up frustration she had within her – anger management would simply never be able to match up to beating on Jade.

The red head spat out a little blood as a wild punch got her in the jaw, knocking the teen back a few feet. She wiped at her mouth, her eyes not leaving Jade's as the other woman stood still only a few feet away. Jonny took the chance to pull at Jessie's sleeve but she merely shrugged him off. She wasn't going to get another chance like this and there was still the matter of getting away.

"Jessie, we need to get out of here," urged Jonny.

"Then get out of here, Jonny – I've got unfinished business."

"Are you insane? She'll kill you!"

"Not if I kill her first."

"Jessie –"

Jonny took an involuntary step back as Jessie swept her gaze onto him. "No. You don't understand, Jonny. Jade's the reason my parents split; she's the reason my life is all fucked up – I'm not letting her go anywhere, not unless she gets the best of me, and I don't intend to let that happen this time around."

Taking a stubborn look on his face Jonny scowled. "Killing her isn't the answer, Jess."

"Don't you want to kill Zin for what happened to your mother?" Jessie's question hung in the air giving Jade a chance to survey the situation, her hand moving towards her belt in an unobtrusive manner. Jonny felt his mouth open but no words came forth. She spoke the truth when it came to Dr. Zin – Jonny hated him for all he had done to his family, taking his mother away before her time. It was no great secret Zin had done this, he had admitted as much almost three years before in a chance meeting between him and Jonny, and since then the teen had held a longstanding grudge against the man. Jonny wanted Zin to pay for his mother's death by any means necessary.

Seeing Jonny pause gave Jessie the edge she needed. "Jade's my Zin, Jonny. I can't let go, just like you can't let go."

"It sounds to me like the two of you have issues letting go," stated Jade coyly, her words gaining the attention of the foursome. All were surprised to see a gun in Jade's hands, pointed in the direction of Jonny and Jessie. "Why don't I take of it for you?"

Time froze for only a moment as Jade's finger pulled at the trigger. Hadji acted first, Anaya's voice repeating the name of Jade over and over in his head. How he managed to entangle himself from Samantha and move so quickly is still something of a mystery, but he did. Moving faster than even he could imagine Hadji managed to shove his friends to the ground as the shot rang out, causing Samantha to scream.

Scrambling onto his knees Jonny moved to tend to his friend, searching for a gunshot wound. It didn't take long to find as blood began to well up in Hadji's right shoulder blade. The sight of blood made both Samantha and Jessie act as one, though in different manners. As Samantha tore at the fabric of her skirt to try and bandage up Hadji, Jessie was moving in Jade's direction to fight for the gun.

"You bitch," she hissed, her fist flying through the air to connect with the arm handling the gun. Jade tightened her grip on the gun, shouldering her way into Jessie as the teen latched onto her arms and refused to let go. There was no way in hell that woman would be keeping the gun for much longer.

From the ground Jonny found himself torn. He allowed Samantha to bandage Hadji up, his own face wincing in pain as Hadji let out a moan of pain. Things had gotten wildly out of hand this time, and Jonny wasn't sure how that had been possible. Looking up told the teen they would have to move fast as the shock of the gunshot was fading from the men Jade had brought with her – it wouldn't be long before they launched their own version of an attack upon the teens as Jessie and Jade fought over the gun. But as much as Jonny knew now was the time to leave, he couldn't. Not with Jessie dealing with the madwoman in her condition.

Out of the corner of her eye Jessie could see the men moving towards Jonny, Hadji and Samantha. Honestly, Jonny wasn't going to suddenly lose his brain now, was he? Gritting her teeth as she swerved Jade's arm upwards, her fingers digging into the other woman's skin, Jessie let out a small shout to get Jonny moving. "Get out of here, Quest! Hadji needs you!"

That was all Jonny needed to get himself back onto his feet. With the help of Samantha the blonde boy hoisted Hadji onto his feet, wrapping his friend's good arm around Samantha's shoulders and pushing them forward. He turned around, his eyes going to Jessie who was still struggling for the gun, but his fears had to be brushed aside as a man lunged at Jonny. With a block of his arm the teen managed to keep the man from really doing any bodily harm, though soon enough he found himself growing outnumbered. All attention seemed to be on him rather than the escapees, which was something of a relief to Jonny. Concentrating on the men Jonny put up a fight, his eyes only able to glance at Jessie every once in a great while as doing so more would have ended with a few more bruises than he was gaining.

For her part Jessie was finding strength she had earlier been missing. Her blood was pumping with adrenaline as the red head shoved her shoulder into Jade's chest, knocking the woman off balance with a screech of pain. Jessie yanked the gun out of Jade's chest and without even thinking about it pointed the offending weapon in the other woman's direction, cocking the trigger just as Jade lunged at the teen, knocking Jessie's aim off as she moved the gun back in Jessie's direction.

With a loud cry Jonny knocked one last man out, his body swaying with the bruises he had accumulated in this particular battle. He had a feeling a rib or two had broken in the melee, but that hardly mattered, for a gunshot rang out and all else was forgotten.

**Across Town**

Estella chuckled at Race's joke, her mood relaxed for the first time in years. It had been ever so long since she had actually felt this happy. It was amazing how that happiness seemed to only come about when Race was involved. She had hoped that after their separation and divorce she would move on with her life and find another form of happiness, but her heart had never seemed to have forgiven Estella the cruel time spent loving a single man. He had always brought out the best of her, while also bringing out the worse. It was a passionate love they had shared, and sitting now across from him told the older red headed woman that perhaps not all was lost. There were reasons why she had fallen in love with Race in the first place, and this evening she was beginning to remember all the reasons why.

The same could be said of Race as well. He was wishing he had fought for her harder after she had left, but he hadn't. He still felt guilty betraying her as he had, especially given the fact that they had a beautiful daughter together. Oh, the past was the past, yes, but Roger Bannon knew all too well how long one could remember the past as though it were no more than yesterday. He had spent so many years being mad at himself rather than Estella for the ruined marriage. It had taken him the longest time to get her to give him the time of day, and when that day had finally arrived all the pieces had clicked into place, turning things into a whirlwind romance as only books could describe. It was cliché, of course, but Race could think of no better way to describe his relationship with his ex-wife. She was the one that had gotten away, and Race would be damned if he let it happen again.

"Do you remember – " Estella's words were cut off from a ringing of her cell phone. She frowned as she glanced down at her purse from whence the ring was coming. Of all the things, a phone call? Who could be calling her? She had let it be know she would be out and off limits for the evening … well, several evenings really. Estella was in no hurry to return to her original dig site, not when Jessie was in the fragile state she was in and Jezebel Jade was still as loose as a cannon. It wouldn't have been right.

For half a second Estella thought of ignoring it, but the moment Race's own cell phone began to ring she knew something was wrong. As one the pair answered their respective phones, neither one hearing anymore than 'Jessie is at the hospital'.

**Rockport General Hospital**

Race was the first one through the emergency room doors, Estella no more than a foot behind him. Both wore frazzled looks on their faces as their eyes sought out a familiar figure or two. Glancing up from his seat Benton stood and motioned for the pair to come his way. The fact that his own face was somber was all Race or Estella could see; neither one took in that Benton did not seem overly upset.

"Where is she?" demanded Race as his arm went out to cup Estella's elbow. He knew her all too well, and if Benton didn't give an answer shortly the white haired man knew his ex-wife would be lunging herself at the esteemed scientist. Estella had always let her emotions get the best of her in the past, and when it came to their only child Race was fairly certain she would be worse off than ever.

Sensing this Benton began to move down the hallway of the hospital, Race and Estella not far behind him. They approached a door just as an orderly came rushing out, his face a pained expression. "Mr. Quest, I know she isn't your daughter, but couldn't you _please_ ask her to stop talking murder like its second nature. She's starting to give people the idea that the cops ought to be called in."

"Don't worry about it, James. The CIA is on their way."

That seemed to make James' face pale even more and the man quickly brushed past the trio in an effort to escape what was likely madness. Benton chuckled and stepped aside as a quizzical looking Estella moved towards the door. Upon opening it she and Race were greeted by a rare sight. Jessie was seated cross legged on a bed with a bright grin on her face as she proudly extended her injured hand from the previous night, now sporting three stitches.

"Jessica?"

Jessie glanced up at the sound of her mother's voice, a sheepish look appearing on her face. She had heard from Dr. Quest that her parents hadn't allowed him time to explain just what had happened – apparently they had hung up on both him and the doctor calling to inform Race and Estella that Jessie had been involved in a fight and had been forced to the hospital when it seemed her injured hand wouldn't stop bleeding.

"Uh … you were right, I needed the stitches after all."

"What the Sam hell is going on here?" demanded Race, his face a twisted look of fury as he pushed further into the room. His eyes swept about and took in the fact that Hadji had his arm in a sling, Jonny seemed a little worse for wear, and Samantha had torn clothing.

"Jade." Jessie's simple answer did little to relieve Race.

"Oh, is that all?"

Jonny winced. He could tell by the look on Jessie's face that she was ready to battle most anyone this evening despite all that had happened – even her own father. "Jess." Turning to Race Jonny cleared his throat. "Funny thing about your ex, Race … she's insane. She came at us with a group of men, brought out a gun, shot Hadji and almost shot Jessie."

"And where is she now?"

At this Jessie's face clouded over. "Gone – _again._ Damn bitch thought she had me but I managed to the hit the gun out of my direction again – it went wild and Jade took off. By then we could hear the police coming. Someone seriously needs to tell them that shouting into their walkie talkies is a dead giveaway that they're coming – I almost had her!"

Almost immediately Estella began to curse in Spanish, her wrath turning on her ex-husband as he too began to shout, though in English and at his reckless daughter. This was more than enough to convince the rest of the room's occupants that it was time to leave. Jonny slipped out after Samantha, his eyes raking over Jessie one last time before the door shut behind him. Ahead of him Hadji and Benton seemed to be deep in conversation as they walked down the hallway, possibly in an effort to distance themselves from the war zone when doctors started calling for help again after hearing Race, Estella and Jessie go at one another.

"Ahem."

His eyes must have closed for a moment for Jonny found himself opening them to see Samantha standing in front of him, an odd look on her face. "Sam – "

The blonde girl shook her head. "Don't apologize, Jonny. It wasn't your fault the date sucked. I shouldn't have been there anyway. I know you wanted to cheer Hadji up … and I'm sorry."

Jonny blinked in surprise. Had he heard her correctly? "You're sorry?" he asked.

Samantha nodded. "Yeah. Jonny … you and I … we have nothing in common. The only reason I dated you was because I thought there was something incredibly special about you … and there is, but not my kind of special. I knew it after the first date, but I couldn't just give up so easily. Jessie would have won that way. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you and her have this connection unlike any other. Everyone can see it at school – that's why there were all those rumors about the two of you. I guess I was just … jealous; not of her being with you, or being hinted at being with you, but because you guys had something that the rest of us aren't going to have for a long time."

"I …"

"I know. You don't get what I'm saying. It's perfectly understandable. You're a guy, though I don't think Jessie knows what you guys have either. I shouldn't have let my annoyance with her take over all my thoughts. It was a bad lapse of judgment on my part … and tonight … tonight was a huge wake up call for me. This isn't my world – this is yours, and hers, and your families. Not many people can fit into this world, and I really don't envy them seeing as how you have crazy people attacking you when you least expect it." Samantha sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's over, Jonny. It was over from the start, and I think you knew that just like I did."

Jonny sighed as well. "I did."

Nodding Samantha turned to go. "Brad's waiting outside. I gave him a call to pick me up, but Jonny, take care of yourself – and Jessie. As much as I dislike her, I'd hate to not graduate with her this year."

Without a word Jonny nodded in understanding, his eyes following Samantha as she walked away. For the first time in a long time everything seemed clear to him – and all because the last person he had expected had pointed it out to him.

**Later That Evening**

Corbin sighed as he sank down into the chair beside Anaya's bed. It had taken hours to clear up the mess at the hospital. Race had been hard to calm upon learning Jade had pulled a gun on his daughter and Jonny. Corbin wasn't surprise in the least. Everything had been escalating in the last few weeks – Anaya was proof enough of that.

And it all mattered very little.

Jade was gone yet again, possibly off licking her wounds and waiting for another chance to attack the teens when the least expected it. Corbin had promised to assign a few agents to watch over Jonny and Jessie more than usual for their own safety. It was the least he could do, though he had no idea what else he could try. Preventing Jade from showing up again was like trying to prevent a hurricane from hitting an island directly in its path. It couldn't be done, at least not as far as Corbin knew.

Running a hand over his face Corbin leaned forward, his hands clasped together as he studied the injured woman in front of him. Hadji had been injured this evening as well, worse than either Jessie or Jonny, though he was bearing it better than the other two.

Yes, things were escalating for the worse. Corbin was afraid that the only way it would end would be in death.

His eyes closed for a moment, fluttering open at the sound of Anaya mumbling in her sleep. Holding his breath Corbin half stood and leaned towards the bed, his ear bent towards Anaya as she mumbled yet again.

What Corbin heard was a name.

--

**A/N – **it's amazing what countless hours of Spanish soap operas will do for a muse. This was supposed to have been put up directly after Thanksgiving, but silly me caught the flu and ended up dead to the world for a week straight, and now finals have appeared … but no worries, it's four in the morning, and this is the finished product. The next reply will be up upon my settling in at home for Christmas break.


	16. Heart to Heart

**Disclaimer: **I can dream of owning this stuff one day, can't I? In the meantime, it belongs to others more talented than I; I merely take the characters and place them into a world of my own making.

--

**Chapter 16 – Heart to Heart**

Two days had passed since the events in the park. In that time Jonny had discovered several things. One, that it was possible to gain an armed escort just to walk to his car after school; two, that he still had no idea how to talk to Jessie about them, thus going back to pretending as though nothing were wrong between them; and three, it was his fault his father was walking around the compound as though someone had died.

It was that last part that currently had Jonny sitting in his room watching Bandit breathe in and out from his favorite spot, atop Jonny's favorite shirt. Okay, maybe it was his second favorite shirt. The blonde teen was pretty sure his actual favorite shirt was hidden away in one of Jessie's dresser drawers from way back when. It would have been a better story had it gone to her after an incident or two between them, but that would only ever happen in Jonny's dreams. The truth behind his shirt was that about one year ago she had simply walked into his room and stolen the shirt from his dirty clothes pile. If one couldn't find that attractive unto itself then they didn't deserve Jessie.

Not that he himself deserved Jessie. Since getting stitches she and Jonny had returned to their old ways – the ways in which they bantered at every family meal and showed up to school together before separating for the day to do their separate classes which Jonny was of the opinion they needed more of seeing as how he had found himself staring at the back of her more than three times in a row, thus earning him detention when he couldn't answer a math equation on the board. It was rather nice to be back to normal, but there were still the many unsaid of things that they needed to discuss, and just as surely as that was a fact neither teen seemed particularly intent on discussing anything serious with the other.

Hadji had gone back to sitting at Anaya's side in the hospital, something to do with her doing better and the doctors believing she would be waking up soon. Without his best friend at his side to talk about things Jonny was left to his own devices, which he supposed might be a good thing as he was slowly coming to terms with various things in his life.

He loved one Jessica Bannon and it scared him to death.

He was afraid his father was prepared to put Rachel Quest's memory to rest forever.

He knew he would be seeing Jade again.

He wanted to kill Dr. Zin.

And the big one, the one that bothered him the most:

his father was in love with Grace.

"Boy Bandit, you don't know how easy you have it," sighed Jonny. "I'd rather be in your shoes right now, arthritis and all."

A knock came on his door, causing Jonny to glance up with mild apprehension. He had a feeling that whoever was on the other end of the door was going to be someone he would rather not talk with today. Before he could say a single word the door flew open and Jessie stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Hey Jess, come right in, make yourself at home, I'm not busy or anything – what the hell? I could have been changing or something, you know that?"

"Oh please, like we didn't bathe together when we were kids anyway."

"It's called common courtesy."

"You're right, it is. So let's talk about that a little more, Jonathan Quest."

Jonny cringed at the usage of his full name. Jessie only ever did that when she was extremely irate about something, and this time he didn't even have the excuse of Samantha to argue about, which meant that whatever it was Jessie had come to talk about would likely not be something he _wanted_ to talk about. "I'm thinking I don't want to talk to you about common courtesy, Ace."

"That's only because you know you've been an ass the last few days, Quest."

"This coming from the girl that put bubble gum in my ex-girlfriend's hair," replied Jonny, "makes my being an ass seems rather trivial right now."

"She had it coming, and this isn't about her, or anything remotely related to that. This is about you and the fact that you can't seem to grow up!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! What the hell is your problem? You're eighteen years old, Jonny. You don't need your dad to hold your hand wherever you go – hell, you haven't been that way since we turned ten. You're always off on your own little adventure without permission anyway, so why the sudden mind reversal?"

"If this is about my dad and Grace, don't start."

"Oh, is that a touchy subject with you? Do you know you've ruined another man's life? I hate to break it to you, Jonny, but it's time for you to mature a little."

Jonny made a face. Somehow he had known this entire argument would be about Grace and his father. Knowing Jessie as well as he did Jonny knew the girl couldn't leave things well enough alone when it came to that absurd happily ever after. She had always been a sucker for those Disney flicks. "Grace broke things off with my dad, not the other way around, so don't you dare say I made him choose between her and me, because I sure as hell didn't."

"Oh please, you didn't even have to do that – you made her choose between pursuing a relationship with the man she obviously loves and the relationship he had with you. Grace didn't want to come between you and your dad, Jonny. She made the choice for him, and for some stupid reason she figured you were more important than her," replied Jessie bluntly, her arms crossing in front of her chest.

"Whatever went down with my dad and Grace isn't any of my business, nor is it any of yours. What the hell is it to you anyway, Jess?"

"I'm sorry for having a heart and wanting people other than myself to have a nice life with the one they love."

Scowling, Jonny lapsed into silence, his eyes studying Jessie's, both refusing to back down on their stance on the situation. Jonny was already aware of the fact that he was just being stubborn, something only ever born out of speaking with the teenage girl standing in front of him. He wasn't sure why they couldn't work things out for themselves, though the arguing might be a large part of it. Then again he wasn't even sure what Jessie felt about him anymore. If she had ever felt something for him it was likely long gone given all that they had gone through the past few months.

"You need to fix this, Quest," stated Jessie with a small sigh.

"Maybe there's nothing to fix."

Jessie centered her gaze on him, her eyes flickering with something that Jonny couldn't quite register. "Do you really believe that?"

"It's not my problem, Jessie. It's between them, and it's not up to you or me to go about fixing their lives without permission." He couldn't fix it, he didn't want to. If he did what would come next? It wasn't that he was afraid of his father forgetting him or any such nonsense like that, it was nothing like that. It was simply a change that Jonny wasn't ready for, one that went along with the change in his own relationship with Jessie.

When had they all grown up and put their childhoods aside?

All those years of simplicity were gone now. It was that breach between childhood and adulthood, and Jonny wasn't ready to cross it. He wasn't ready for the responsibilities of the new world that awaited him. He was ill-equipped for such a thing.

Jonny wasn't ready to love someone with all his heart and take all the causes and effects that came along with it. He had seen what his father had gone through after the death of his mother, and Jonny never wanted to go through it again. Love was a dangerous thing. If one loved too much it was all too possible to lose that love in a brief moment, just as Rachel Quest had been taken from him and his father.

And while that may be the reason for his refusal to take the next step with Jessie, it was more the reason for his stubbornness on the matter of Grace.

Jonny couldn't bear to see his father with a broken heart ever again, and that would be possible for as long as there were people like Surd, Rage, and Zin out there.

"Jonny –"

"No."

Sensing that there was very little she could do or say, Jessie allowed her gaze to fall to the ground. She had hoped she would be able to get through to him, but she had been wrong. She was always wrong. Just when she had thought they were back on the mend something like this came up, placing another divide between them. In the past the pair had been able to finish the other's sentences, even in arguments. But now things were different. Jessie didn't know the boy in front of her. He was different; he was distant. And it wasn't just this matter he was being distant on.

They weren't giving the other the cold shoulder, but they certainly weren't reaching out to one another as they used to do.

They had changed.

Their relationship had changed.

It was as though the path they now walked had turned itself around and suddenly they were walking into a dark unknown, and Jessie knew without a doubt they would never go back to the way things had been before.

And if that was the case then she didn't want to pursue it.

Taking a small breath the red head made herself glance upwards at Jonny, his eyes clearly avoiding hers. "Maybe you're right, Hotshot. I mean, it's easy to let our eyes fool us into seeing things that aren't really there. Sometimes we take things out of context and let our imaginations run away with it, imagining things that could never be. I know I've done that more than once of late, and I shouldn't have."

Jonny glanced up in alarm, his eyes furrowing as he tried to pick out the true meaning behind Jessie's words. She wasn't saying what he thought she was saying was she?

Jessie continued. "If you think standing to the side and letting this thing pass you by is the way to go, then I'm going to believe you. Maybe there wasn't anything there at all in the first place. Maybe it was all a trick of my mind and this is probably for the best. We wouldn't want everything to change at once, right? I mean, what would be the point of that? Things are fine just the way they are now – kind of like us."

From down the stairwell a voice called up, "Ponchita! You have ten seconds to get your ass down here so I can give you a ride to the lab – you promised Grace you'd help with that bloody stone! Don't make me come up there and drag you down!"

"I have to go."

"Jessie … everything's complicated right now." It was all Jonny could say. He wasn't sure how to explain to her what he felt, why he had his doubts.

"Hey, when has anything _not _been complicated? Jonny, our entire lives have been spent running from one crazy adventure to another. We've never been normal, we've never done things the right way before, and we sure as hell haven't stood by and watched life pass us by. Sure some things were riskier than others, but that doesn't mean it wasn't worth it. What you have to think about, and I mean _really _think about, is whether or not one thing or another is worth the risk, or worth letting go?"

"_Ponchita!_"

"Oh, hold your horses!" Jessie fumed at the interruption. She had thought she had seen something moving in Jonny's eyes, a type of recognition. It had made her breath catch in the hope that he would breach the wall he had built, but her next glance at him told her that he was back to where they had started.

With a shake of his head Jonny said, "Some choices are harder to make than others, Jess. You don't know how hard this choice is for me." He didn't have to say what it was they were talking about – they both knew this had nothing to do with Grace and his father. It was about them.

In her words Jonny had seen a spot of the future. He had seen them happy and together. It was possible, anything was possible. Yet at the same time he saw the face of Zin, replaced with Surd, then replaced with Rage, and to the side he could see Jade, standing and waiting for her chance to strike. He could see danger on the horizon, more so if he made a mistake by letting his feelings outweigh common sense. There could be another funeral. There could be more heartache. There could be another child orphaned without a mother or father to care for them.

There would be heartache.

Part of his mind was screaming at him that even if he didn't come out and pursue his love for Jessie there would be heartache in the future. That all could come to pass with more regret for never saying what he really felt, but Jonny forcefully shoved that thought aside. He wanted to protect Jessie anyway possible, and in this one moment he was positive the best way to do that was to stay friends. She would move on with her life, go off and be whatever she wanted to be, so long as she was happy Jonny was certain he could keep her alive. Without her at his side their enemies would forget she ever existed. They wouldn't be the dynamic duo as in the past – they wouldn't always be getting one another out of one scrape after another. That part would be gone, leaving only Jonny to end the vendetta between him and Zin.

It was for the best.

"Why won't you let me in, Jonny? You've been closed to me for weeks now. I don't know what you're thinking anymore. I don't know who you are." Jessie's words softened, her fear shining through as she directed them at Jonny.

"It's one of the hardest decisions I'll ever make, but you have to trust me, Jessie. _It's better this way._"

"I don't understand you anymore, Jonny."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to." The teen looked as though she were going to say more, but the door to the room flung open and Race stood in it, his face masked with anger. Almost instantly Jessie changed her own face to mask that of her father, her next set of words directed at him. "How are those horses holding up?"

"They'd be doing a hell of a lot better if you would get yourself downstairs and into that damn car right now."

"You're just pissed because mom's making you go to an anger management meeting."

"I don't have anger problems."

Jonny snorted. The moment between him and Jessie was gone, now replaced by the ever familiar family banter of the Quest clan. "Oh please, Race, you have almost as many anger issues as Jessie."

Jessie shot her friend a glare. "I do not have anger issues!"

"Really? Why don't you tell that to the doctor at the hospital who was shaking by the time we left? All that talk about ripping a certain woman's heart out and squishing it with your bare hands had him asking another doctor if he had a fever."

"Some men are just born babies."

"And some people are just born to attend anger management classes."

"Don't make me throw you out the window, Quest."

"See what I mean?"

Race frowned as he studied his daughter. "You have been a little more … _colorful_ of late."

"Traitor."

"Keep talking like that and I might suggest to your mother we take family counseling just to make the two of you suffer like me."

"And then she might make you guys do parenting courses just so you can learn that letting your only child parachute out of a flying plane at the age of eight is a bad thing."

"It was one time!"

"But times three kids," pointed out Jonny.

"Whose side are you on?" demanded Race with a dark look directed at the blonde teen.

"Does it really matter?"

Muttering under his breath Race motioned for Jessie to make a move out the doorway so they could get going. The teen girl sighed and did so without arguing, her brief bout with anger losing its steam. She needed to get a hold of herself or else her mother would know something had happened and not even a good something. Race followed behind her, leaving Jonny alone to lean against the doorframe.

Bandit barked, causing Jonny to glance his way. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I'm a complete idiot, and you know what, you're right. I am a complete idiot … but I can't back down. I can't. I can't … I can't lose her."

"While this may be your choice for you and Jessie, it should not also be your choice for your father." Hadji's voice startled Jonny. A glance into the hallway showed that his foster brother had appeared at his shoulder in that ever mysterious way he had always possessed.

"Where did you come from?"

"I am always here, Jonny, whether you know it or not. You should not be so oblivious to all that surrounds you; it is like walking into a cave without a light and expecting to see."

"Huh?"

"You do not really expect me to make this easier for you, do you?"

"A guy can hope, can't he?"

"Do you really believe you have made the correct decision?"

"For the first time in my life, Hadji, I'm using my head."

"Then you have changed, for the Jonny I know always ever used his heart." Hadji gave his friend a small smile tinged with sadness, his eyes glancing down at Bandit. "We live in an ever-changing world. Nothing will stay the same forever."

"I know that."

"Then why continue to deny others the same happiness you would deny yourself?"

Jonny pressed his lips together, the words he was thinking not leaving his mouth. Hadji nodded at him as though in understanding before turning and disappearing in the direction of the stairs. "Why does he always have to be right?" muttered Jonny, his words earning a small bark of agreement from Bandit. With a sigh he closed the door to his bedroom before plopping down onto his bed. He could feel the start of a headache and wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and make the entire world go away.

He hated himself for turning away from Jessie – it was ever harder to bear given how he now knew there was something between them, something they both felt but would now never act on.

And he had already hated himself for forcing Grace to break things off with his dad because he couldn't get with the program. They had history together, he knew that much. He wasn't sure what type of history it was, but whatever it was it had flared up again upon their first meeting in Bangalore. Since that moment Jonny had witnessed a change in his father. He smiled more, laughed more, and he certainly didn't spend as much time staring at the computer working. He hadn't wanted to see these changes, afraid that if his father became too happy it would be all swept out from under him, and in a way it had. Just when Benton Quest had seemed to find an equal balance in his life Grace had cut their relationship short, all because of Jonny.

A sigh escaped his lips and Jonny turned his head towards the clock on his nightstand, but it wasn't the digits that caught his eye. Sitting right beside his clock was a bracelet with several trinkets on it. It was the bracelet Jonny had bought for Jessie back in Mexico before Jade had screwed their entire relationship up.

Pushing himself onto his elbows Jonny reached over with a single arm to tug the bracelet in his direction, holding it up over his head to study the trinkets dangling on it. Looking at it now he knew he could never give it to Jessie; it would never say all that he wanted it to say to her. It wouldn't make up for what would never be.

And oddly enough, it didn't belong to her. Jonny wasn't sure it ever had. The trinkets on it were pretty enough, sure, but there was something about it that said there was someone else out there more deserving and appreciative of this tiny gift than a certain red headed girl. She deserved more than a step in the right direction, but Jonny knew he would be unable to give her what she deserved.

But he could do what he should have done a long time ago.

Keeping the bracelet in his fist Jonny got up from his bed and made his way out into the hallway. He took the stairs two at a time, crossing the way to another small hallway before coming to a stop outside a single door. Jonny took a deep breath he pushed it open, his eyes resting on the figure of his father. Benton was hunched over the keyboard of his computer, his eyes staring blankly at the screen with what looked to be a rather unfinished piece of a lecture. That made the teen grimace. His father only ever concocted lectures when he was feeling down, it was his way to take his mind off whatever it was bothering him.

Clearing his throat Jonny gained the attention of his father in time for the teen to reach out his arm and unclench his fist, letting the bracelet fall onto the keyboard. Benton glanced between the two quizzically.

"I'm thinking you need to call Grace. Rumor has it she's missed you. And uh, women like gifts when you apologize, or at least normal women do." Jonny shrugged helplessly, not sure what more to say, or whether his father understood at all what he was doing. This was just as difficult, but deep down he knew it too was for the best. Jonny would suffer enough for the two of them in the matter of love from this day forward, and he didn't want his father to share in that suffering. He didn't deserve it after all that he had gone through in the past. Losing love twice didn't seem possible, and Jonny would make sure it never came to pass.

Benton eyed his son without speaking, a small smile finally making its way onto his face. "Thank-you."

Jonny nodded and turned away as his father reached across for the phone. As he walked away he could hear his father speaking uncertainly, and a small cloud of guilt eased itself from his conscience. This was how it was supposed to be.

This was how it was meant to be.

--

**A/N- **this is way overdue. I ended up sick for Christmas, and then the remainder of my break was spent preparing for my semester abroad, and now it's simply a matter of remembering how to write in English and not Spanish.


	17. Danger Zone

**Disclaimer: **I'm still wishing here, folks, but something tells me I'll never own this stuff.

**Chapter 17 – Danger Zone**

The city was a lonely place at midnight.

The streets were going on empty, with only a few stragglers bracing themselves against the cold as they made their way home for the evening. A train could be heard in the distance, calling out to the rest of the world that it was making its journey into the city. From the ocean a foghorn could also be heard, alerting others to a thick fog rolling in.

In an alleyway in the heart of the city, however, the sounds of the city settling in for the night seemed to be ignored. In it stood a figure with a coat tied around a feminine waist, pacing every so often to keep from losing all feeling to the cold. Blonde hair was done up in a loose bun, strands of which outlined the oval face. From her ruby red lips came smoke from a lit cigarette held in carefully manicured fingertips.

Somewhere, a clock struck twelve, and the blonde head tilted to one side in order to listen to the sound. Midnight had finally arrived.

Julia waited until the last of the clock's chimes had faded away before taking another drag on her cigarette. In truth, the woman didn't know whether to be nervous or annoyed about her current whereabouts. She was due to meet her nemesis at midnight here, and Julia knew that the time and location were often viewed as the worst sort of rendezvous possible. After all, midnight was the time when death walked freely amongst the living, calling people home with an icy grip upon the shoulder. Being a slightly superstitious woman, Julia knew all about death and how it took a person's soul, leaving only the body in its wake. She knew, too, that when death came, one could see life flashing before their very eyes, replaying key events life a merry-go-round on fast forward.

But that was all it was. Superstition. And Julia would not be frightened off by such a thing tonight.

Deep in her heart, however, the woman knew what the end result of tonight's meeting might be. That was likely the only reason she was allowing thoughts of death to run through her mind. If that happened, it would be her own fault. After all, she had agreed to this meeting despite her better judgment. She had known what risks would be involved, and still she had come. Whether or not her bravery was born out of a final stand before death, Julia did not know. Nor did she care to know. She had the upper hand tonight. She had something that another wanted, and she was going to come out of this on top.

But that didn't chase away a final chill as it settled in her body, causing her to think that death _was_ in fact approaching – this time in the form of one Jezebel Jade.

Julia heard the other woman before she saw her. The high heels clicking along the cement were unmistakable.

Lowering the cigarette and dropping it to the ground, Julia used her own heel to rub out the dying ember. The blonde turned around, pulling her coat around her just a little bit tighter as Jade's face became visible in a silver stream of moonlight.

Jade spoke first. "You came."

"You thought I wouldn't?" returned Julia coolly.

"Let's just say I wasn't putting all my money on it," said Jade, a small smirk appearing on her lips as she gave the blonde a once over. "You didn't strike me as the adventurous type."

With narrowed eyes Julia allowed the words to slip by unheeded, knowing full well the insult that lay within them. The way in which Jade seemed to hold herself tonight put Julia on edge, if only slightly. The other woman was drawing things out, which wasn't something Julia understood. She didn't like beating around the bush; she had always been the sort of woman that got to the point. But Jade wasn't like that.

Clearing her throat, Julia spoke again. "You called this little meeting tonight, Jezebel. I'm not without brains, although I'm sure you would like to think otherwise. You wanted to speak to me outside the hearing of our employers, so speak. What do you want?"

Jade smirked. "My, my, in a hurry, aren't we?" She allowed the smirk to fade away, her features smoothing themselves as she directed her full gaze onto Julia. "I know it was you that took the precious, battered form of Anaya Zin to the Quest Compound. I didn't understand why at first, originally thinking that maybe you had cracked. But then I returned to my room, and the pieces all fell into place." Jade paused, allowing the words to sit on the air before continuing.

"When searching the room of another, Julia, one _should_ at least strive to be discreet. Even the Bannon girl had the decency to do that when she rifled through my things in Mexico. But you didn't bother with such things, and while I _should_ ignore such an intrusion of my privacy, we both know I can't. You took something from me, and I want it back."

Julia allowed her lips to move upward into a tiny smile of victory. She hadn't bothered to hide the fact that she had gone through Jade's things the night before. At first it had been out of anger toward the other woman. Julia had gone into Jade's room with the intention of making a mess and sending a message to her, but that had been before Julia had found something else. Something unexpected.

"It's almost interesting to note," murmured Julia as she reached inside of her coat to extract a piece of paper. Almost lovingly, the blonde ran her fingertips along the outer edges of the paper. "Out of all of us involved, you carry the greatest secret of all. Who would have thought that you, Jezebel Jade, would be afraid of anything? Who would have thought that you would go out of your way to conspire to bring together the Zin family, Ezekiel Rage, and Jeremiah Surd to suit your own fucking needs? It's almost worth applauding."

She toyed with the paper for another moment, watching as Jade's eyes flickered with unreadable emotions. It was almost too delicious. But eventually Julia handed the paper over to Jade, another smirk on her face as the dark haired woman snatched at it.

"Jezebel Jade, a woman used to living life on the edge and taking every risk imaginable, brought down to earth with two little words: terminal disease. It all makes sense now. Your fear of mortality has you seeking desperate cures – like the elixir to life. Although, for the life of me, I can't figure out how the hell you managed to get that gem dug up after all these centuries."

Jade didn't look up as she unfolded the paper, her hands shaking, but only barely so. "That was just a coincidence," she replied without hesitation. "I was seeking other means of survival when the gem was dug up. I went to college for some time – studied archaeology for a few semesters before growing bored and dropping out. But the Immortal Stone was one thing I remembered. When rumors circulated that it might have been found, I didn't think twice when I gathered everyone together. I knew who they would call if the gem turned out to be the real deal – and strange as it might sound, I found myself latching onto the gem stone as one does a life preserver.

"There's no known cure for my disease. They can simply prolong my life using steroids and experimental drugs. At this point, even the most far-fetched solution is a realistic chance for me. I don't know if the damn stone can cure me, but it's better than giving up and living out the rest of my days in some assisted living center. Unfortunately, the best known expert on the Immortal Stone is dead, so I was forced to go to the next best source – her old partner. But I don't do things by halves, and coercing the rest of you to go along in destroying the Quest and Bannon group was the natural next step. And oh, so easy.

"I used to think jail would be hell if I ever ended up there, but a hospital is ten times worse," stated Jade sharply, her eyes going up to meet those of Julia's. "I refuse to let time take its toll on me. I refuse to weaken and die. I won't be pitied by people, hence why I keep it secret. I'm a fighter, and I'll fight this disease and live. But I can't lie and say that I'm not feeling the effects of my disease. I'm not nearly as strong as I used to be – the last two fights with the Bannon girl being proof of that. I've been forced to retreat and lick my wounds, but it doesn't matter anymore. I'm not going to let her, or Race, or anyone else stop me from using the Immortal Stone to extend my life indefinitely. I _will_ live forever."

Julia snorted, unable to keep her next words from spilling out of her mouth. "You're fucking insane."

"You're right," said Jade. She pulled out a gun, pointing it at the blonde even as she cocked it. "I am." And then she pulled the trigger.

The echo of the gunshot faded as a dog barked in the distance. The sound of heels clicking against the cement could faintly be heard as Jade moved away from her latest crime. Her hands were tucked into her vest pockets, one hand curled around her piece of paper. In her mind she was already concocting another story… and then there was silence.

**The Quest Compound**

Exhausted as he was, Race couldn't sleep. He had tried, and had ended up tossing and turning most of the night. At 6 o'clock in the morning he gave up sleeping altogether and made his way into the living room to turn on the television. He didn't usually watch television, but he figured the early morning news would be on, and every once in awhile that proved to be worth watching.

Today was one of those mornings.

Race was debating whether or not he should make some coffee when breaking news caught his attention. Frowning, Race leaned forward to catch what the reporter was saying.

"Earlier this morning authorities were tipped off to a body in an alleyway on Jefferson Avenue. They have now confirmed the identity as one Julia Patton, aged 37. Although the investigation is ongoing, it is believed that this is a mugging case gone wrong. We will have more information available to you as we get it."

"Mugging case, my ass," muttered Race to himself. The news wasn't earth shattering in the beginning – not until the face of Julia was flashed across the screen. Race had never known the woman's last name, and wasn't sure that Patton was her true one, but that didn't matter. What mattered was Julia was dead, and that could only mean trouble for everyone currently in the Quest Compound.

With a groan, Race got to his feet, making his way down to Benton's room. He didn't care if the other man was still sleeping or not – this had to be discussed.

**The Current Zin-Surd-Rage Hideout**

With a sympathetic look on her face, Jade patted the hand of Jeremiah Surd. Despite being capable of holding himself together, the man seemed at a loss for words today. News of Julia's death had hit him hard. Even worse was the fact that he couldn't go down to recover her body; she had no next of kin, and if he showed up, the authorities would arrest him without a second thought.

Before today Jeremiah Surd had never once thought he would care if Julia left him, or died. Death was the natural order of things. But, somehow or another, she had come to fill a void in his life, and her death hit home with Surd. It wasn't love, at least not in the same sense that others might deem it. But now he was alone…

"If there is anything I can do, you only have to ask," murmured Jade. Surd nodded, although Jade couldn't be sure he understood. This worked in her favor, of course. She had come bearing the news of Julia's death this morning, and in the hours that had passed since then, Jade could feel Surd falling under her thumb.

The news was spreading one story to the world, but Jade was spinning a very different one to Jeremiah Surd. She had told him a partial truth, that Julia had left the body of Anaya Zin at the Quest Compound. But she had also added a lie to it – the lie that Melana had blamed Julia for what had happened to Anaya and taken revenge on the blonde woman.

And the longer Jade sat her, watching Surd grapple with the news, the more convinced she became that in the end she would have exactly what she wanted.

Minutes passed, but Jade didn't say anything more. She knew that she only needed to wait.

Finally, Surd began to stir again. His eyes were darker than before, and his voice hoarse. Jade pretended not to notice as his words sank in.

"Tell Zin that I don't care if she _is_ his daughter. I _will_ have Melana's head."

Beside him, Jade smirked in triumph.

**The Quest Compound, Later **

"Jessica Bannon, would you care to explain this?"

From her spot at the table, Jessie looked up from the newspaper in front of her. Her brows were creased as she tried to figure out what it was her father was referring to. His voice had carried over from the hallway where had gone to answer the door.

"Explain what? Why the doorbell rang? Probably because someone was on the other side," replied Jessie, her gaze returning to the newspaper.

"Not that, Ponchita. _This_." Race appeared in the door way of the dining room, a vase of flowers in his hands.

Jessie glanced up again, and this time did a double take. "Flowers?" she asked. "What exactly am I supposed to explain? What kind? I'd say lilies."

"They're for you."

"For me? Are you sure? Who from?"

"If I knew that I wouldn't be asking, now would I?"

Rolling her eyes, Jessie replied, "You're not asking who from, Dad. You're merely asking me to explain why I'm receiving flowers."

"It's the same thing," stated Race stubbornly.

"Then read the card and maybe it'll answer your question."

"I would, if there was a card."

"Okay, then I don't have an answer for you." With that, Jessie shrugged and returned her gaze to the paper, leaving her father to gape at her.

Jonny chose that moment to appear, making a face at the flowers in Race's arms. Grinning, he said, "If those are for Estella, she probably won't like them. She's been telling Dad that the reason she dislikes being here is because there aren't enough orchids like in Colombia."

"Ha, ha. These aren't for Estella. They're for Jessie."

"What did you buy Jessie flowers for? Sucking up for something?"

Jessie snorted. "Please, he wouldn't know how to suck up if his life depended on it. Dad just shoots out orders until he thinks I'll go along with them."

Race glowered, shooting dark glances between Jessie and Jonny. "_I_ didn't buy the flowers for Jessie. They were sent here by an anonymous person."

"Anonymous?" Jonny glanced over at Jessie in alarm, but she seemed engrossed in the newspaper. "Who would be sending you flowers?" he demanded.

With a sigh, Jessie pushed the paper away. Clearly she wasn't going to finish reading the article she had been reading with Race and Jonny around. She stood up and went over to her father, taking the vase out of his hands. "I don't know who would send me flowers, and I don't care. I'm not really a flower kind of girl. So, before you guys try reading too much into it, or before you guys freak out about it, I'm going to go find a spot for them so someone can pretend to enjoy them."

"Jess, there could be something wrong with them –" Jonny objected, reaching out to prevent Jessie from handling the vase.

"Like what, a bomb at the bottom?"

Jonny ignored the sarcastic tone and pulled the vase away from her. "Maybe."

Race nodded along. "He's right – this could be something from Jade. She likes to play mind games with us."

"A bomb wouldn't be a mind game, Dad."

"You don't know how she works, Ponchita."

"Obviously neither do you. She wouldn't send me flowers, she'd send me a damn package with a bomb in it, or come after me herself. I'm pretty sure she'd rather do the latter – my kicking her ass the last two times probably hasn't gone over well with her."

"Still, we should check the flowers out," insisted Jonny.

Jessie glanced back and forth between her father and Jonny before shrugging. "Have at it. I don't like lilies anyway." Moving past them, the teen paused as she turned around. "I'm taking your car to the bookstore, Jonny. Mom wants me to check if a book she needs is there."

"Uh-huh." Jonny wasn't really paying attention to Jessie at this point; he was too busy pulling the flowers out of the vase and handing them to Race to hold.

"Men," Jessie muttered under her breath as she exited the room. What was the big deal about the flowers anyway? If there had been anything to worry about, she was pretty sure a note would have been attached.

**The Hospital**

The news about Julia had been interesting to note, but Corbin had yet to see where it fit into the larger scheme of things. Julia hadn't been a large player in the latest events, but her death meant something. It was a message of some sort, but what?

Sighing, Corbin rubbed at his eyes. He was exhausted. He had been at the hospital for hours now, sitting beside the bed of Anaya Zin, waiting. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for anymore. Another word, perhaps.

A glance at his watch told him Hadji would be here soon. The boy had been like clockwork since Anaya had been placed in the hospital, and Corbin would probably worry if he didn't show up.

As expected, a minute later the door opened and Hadji entered, a grim look on his face.

"Morning, Hadji."

"Good morning, Mr. Corbin, sir," replied Hadji, taking his customary seat beside Anaya's bedside. He appeared troubled, and this didn't escape Corbin.

"Is something wrong?"

"I have received a call this morning. It seems I am needed back home to attend to my duties as a Sultan."

"I see." Corbin was silent for a moment, allowing Hadji to grapple with his thoughts. It was clear the younger boy was torn between his duties as a Sultan, and whatever feelings he might have for Anaya. "You know, Hadji, I have the best men stationed here watching Anaya. No one will get in and out without my knowing. She'll be in safe hands."

"I do not underestimate your men," started Hadji carefully.

"But you're worried that when she wakes up, it'll be while you're gone," finished Corbin.

Hadji glanced up, surprised that the man had guessed what he had been about to say. "Yes. I am afraid of that. I think she would prefer that I be here when she awakens. I am a friendly face."

Nodding, Corbin replied, "Understandable. She may not understand why she's under careful watch and take it the wrong way. But… I understand that your duties as a sultan can't be ignored. I'll tell you what. You go home, see if you can't take care of your duties, and then come right back. You can call here each day and get an update from me personally. If she so much as turns while sleeping, I'll give you a ring."

Hadji considered this, his eyes focused on Anaya's still form. Finally he nodded and looked up at Corbin. "Yes, I would like that."

Corbin opened his mouth as though preparing to say something else, but Anaya chose that moment to stir again, a sound coming from her lips. Both men turned, Corbin getting out of his seat to stand beside the bed. Whatever Anaya was trying to say was inaudible for a moment, but as Hadji and Corbin strained their ears to listen, they were finally able to understand a single word.

"Stone."

Straightening up, Corbin glanced across the bed at Hadji, both coming to terms with the word. In Corbin's mind, however, he was coming to a very scary realization – that the words were somehow connected, and that Anaya was trying to say something important.

**Back at the Compound**

The house was quiet for the time being, something for which Estella was grateful for. Jessie had escaped hours ago to find a book Estella wanted – needed – for referencing the Immortal Stone. Race and Jonny… Well, Estella wasn't sure where they were at the moment. They were home, but quiet finally. Their uproar over the flowers had continued well after Jessie had gone, and well after Estella had trashed the flowers to quiet them down. While a part of her was worried about the meaning behind the flowers, the possible person that had sent them, she refused to stress aloud about them like Race and Jonny had done.

Nothing sinister had been attached to them, so there was no reason to worry. Yet.

At this point Estella could only suppose that Race had finally gone to lay down; he had been up so early watching the news about Julia, so he was probably tired. And Jonny… Whatever he was doing, Estella didn't think there was any reason to worry about it. Benton was off having lunch with Grace, and it seemed to be with Jonny's blessing since the teen hadn't said much when it was announced earlier.

Perhaps there was hope for Jonny after all. If only he and Jessie could work out their differences and stop acting like children again…

Estella sighed at this thought, her eyes moving away from the papers in front of her. She had taken over Benton's office so as to go through the papers and journals left behind by his late wife. It was no easy task. There was a lot of information to sift through, none of it in any sort of order anymore. The redhead hadn't asked why that was; she could imagine that Benton had tossed them around his office sometime after the death of Rachel.

She picked up another journal, sighing as she did so. Estella had known what she was getting herself into when she had agreed to go through Rachel's materials. But that didn't make it any less difficult. Rachel had been a meticulous woman. Everything was detailed – it was just without order because of the years since her death. Items had been misplaced, hidden, but thankfully never thrown out.

Estella opened the journal and began reading, hoping that at some point she would come across a reference to the Immortal Stone. She knew that Rachel must have kept an entire journal devoted to the blasted gemstone.

But this one was not it.

This one held something else entirely…

Estella found herself sitting up as she read, her lips parting in horror at what Rachel had captured in the pages. It was hard to believe… hard to take in…

"She knew." The words were nothing more than a whisper, but the realization was just as shocking as if she were being told rather than uncovering it herself. "She knew she was going to die."

It had been assumed for years after her death that Dr. Zin had played a part in Rachel Quest's death, but never before had there been proof that Rachel herself had known about it… And now here it was, plain as day.

Rachel Quest had known about the death order, and she had chosen to keep quiet about it.

Shaking her head, trying to wrap her mind around this fact, Estella bent over the journal and kept reading.

**Upstairs**

He had no right to be upset, but Jonny felt he had every right to be worried. Jessie was still his friend, and someone had sent her flowers. It didn't matter who had sent the damn flowers; they had been sent, and without a card. It only made sense for Jonny to assume the worst. He figured if someone had actually sent her flowers out of admiration, there would have been a note attached with a plea for a phone call or a date.

Jonny was only partially comforted by this thought. Although it had been his decision to keep things the way they were between himself and Jessie, he wasn't ready to just let her go and date a random person. Or even a not so random person. He would prefer she stay single or… join a convent.

Jonny groaned. Now he sounded like Race.

He needed something else to take his mind off Jessie – and something that wouldn't make him think about his father either. He had given his father the go ahead to seek a relationship with Grace, but that didn't mean Jonny was one hundred percent okay with it.

Glancing at his computer, Jonny moved over to his desk, thinking he could probably dig up some information online. But it was just as he settled himself into his computer chair that his phone rang. Making a face, Jonny pulled it out of his pocket, but there was no Caller ID. He debated for a moment whether or not to answer it, but finally decided that if he didn't, he might miss something important.

"Hello?"

"Dear, sweet Jonny, I hope you said goodbye to Jessica today. I have a feeling she won't be coming home."

"Jade? Hello? Hello! Jade!" Jonny pulled the phone back as it clicked off. Jade had hung up, but there was no mistaking that it had been her on the phone.

Gulping in horror, Jonny pressed Jessie's number on speed dial, murmuring for her to pick up the phone to himself. It went to voice mail. Jonny hung up and then tried again. It wasn't until the third try that Jessie answered.

"You know, Hotshot, when a person doesn't answer the phone the first time, usually it's for a good reason – like standing in line to pay for a book her mother wants."

"Jessie! Thank-god! Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, Jonny. I'm at the bookstore. Leaving, now, actually. I just paid for the book, now I'm going through the doors, and next I'm going to get your car and go home. What the hell is your problem?" demanded Jessie, her voice clearly annoyed by Jonny's questions.

"Don't move! Keep your eyes peeled – Jade just called and –"

"Oh good grief. Let me guess, she sent the flowers, she's planning on killing me, blah, blah, blah. Jonny, don't listen to her. Nothing's going to happen, I'm fine. There are a lot of people here – cops included. It's one of those cops-shop-with-kids day or something. I've seen like five of them wandering around the store. Look, I'm having trouble finding my keys talking to you, so why don't I hang up –"

"No! Don't hang up. Jess, you should have heard her. She was pretty clear –"

"Aha! Found the keys. Now to find the car. Yours beeps when I press the lock button a few times, right? It makes things so much easier –"

"Jessie, you're not listening to me – don't move! Don't go anywhere. Find a cop and stay with him!"

"Jonny, I told you, _I'm fine_. I'm just going to get the car and –" Whatever Jessie had been about to say was drowned out by a roaring noise. Jonny had to pull the phone away from his ears, fear coursing through his body.

"Jessie? Jessie! Jessie, answer me!" But there was no answer, because the line was dead.

**A/N –** Oh, wait, you mean I haven't vanished off the face of the planet? And here I thought I had. Well, wonders never cease, do they? I'll avoid the next black hole on the horizon and see if I can't finally finish this story up this year. And then one day go back and clean up all those run-ons in previous chapters…


End file.
